


The Frozen Bride

by Silverlineage



Category: Jack Frost (1979)
Genre: Death, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Bonding, Ice Magic, Ice Powers, Love, Magic, Multi, Romance, Survival, Suspence, Winter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 08:42:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 34
Words: 92,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16950720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silverlineage/pseuds/Silverlineage
Summary: It was an ordinary prank. Freeze the house, have a laugh, and leave. Jack Frost never intended to start a possible way to create an equal to himself. A possible frozen bride. There was only one problem. She was not immune to him. Now he has to follow her generations of daughters to ensure a proper bride is born for him. This is an original story of Jack Frost.Current chapter is 34 and will continue in time!





	1. Chapter 1

It was December 4, 1783 when she was born. The ice storm was at its peak when the shrill baby cries filled the tiny log cabin just outside the sleepy town of a primal English village. The village, itself, bordered a very harsh wilderness forest, and survival was fierce. It was winter right now, and it was one of the most violent storms the village had ever faced. So far, the tiny village was thriving. The population was small, but trade was exceptional from the fur and meat supply from traps. It was the sole purpose of the village with it being on the edge of a forest. And, tonight, the village was going to gain a new member into the fold.

Everything was going as well as any labor could be expected. That was until the door and windows of the small cabin all blew open at once. As the mother lay back in her birthing pains, the midwife did all that she could to keep her breathing in check. The older woman saw this as an omen. The cold air swept through the cabin as though it was on a mission. It neatly removed all of the heat in the hearth. The coals were out as though they weren't touched for days, and a bone-jarring chill killed any existing heat in the room.

When the baby girl was born, the chilling wind seemed to pull around her tiny, fragile form. She was almost frozen on the way out, and completely chilled blue. She was crying at first from the intensity of the cold, but, after a while, she seemed to stop. Even though her body shook intensely, she didn't feel the cold anymore. Furs were quickly wrapped around her body to try and warm the baby back up. As the midwife studied the infant, she noticed the eyes of the newborn. At first they were a warm brown. Then, right before her own eyes, the color in them changed to something resembling ice cold frost.

"This baby is cursed!" the midwife whispered. "Your daughter is a Child of Winter!"

"Still my child!" the burly father scowled. "And a curse? Never! We will see how she grows to really judge that! How is she? My wife?"

"She will live," the woman nodded. "I fear for the child."

"What do you mean?!" he growled now. His heavy, brown beard was getting coated with frost, as he moved quickly to slam the windows and door back shut. Dark brown eyes searched for the next thing he needed to do to warm the place back up. His breath was misting out in the frigid air of the cabin now. That concerned him greatly. He went to the fireplace and found the wood ice cold. Even the small coals were cold to the touch. Swearing at this, he tried to get the fire going again frantically.

"Her eyes are not normal eyes," the midwife said. "They changed out of the womb."

"Well, if you keep quiet, then no harm will come of it. As I said, we will see how she grows," the new father said protectively. "If my daughter dies, then fine. If she lives, then she will live. Or she'll die by my own hands, if she is seen as a threat."

"My baby?!" the weak woman whimpered. "Is my baby alive?! Why is she so quiet?"

"She lives," the midwife sighed and wrapped up the small bundle in a heavy cloth blanket over the furs. The woman's husband was at her side to ease her up to help her start nursing the newborn. The new mother's warm milk would help warm the baby up quickly.

"We'll take it from here. Thanks," the man mumbled. The midwife could only nod when she left. She would be keeping an eye on the child, and she knew the husband was right.  _If the baby girl was a threat, she would be seen to._ The older woman would say nothing for now. She would let them handle the infant. The door was shut firmly behind her to keep the cold out. "How is our daughter?"

"She's so cold!" his wife frowned.

"I'll get the fire back up. Just rest easy," he said and gazed down at his daughter. Looking out the window now to judge the storm, he blinked his eyes with disbelief. _Was that a man out there?!_ Then, with a flurry of snow, the man was gone. It actually unnerved him. He had to check it out. "I'm going to get more kindling! Keep yourself warm with her."

"Be careful!" she frowned. He only nodded and went outside, the door shut tight behind him once again. He did a thorough inspection of where the man was, but found nothing.  _No footprints. No disturbance in the snow. Maybe it was a hallucination._ He didn't want to think that it could be anything else. He didn't want to think that he couldn't protect his newborn and his wife from something he couldn't hit. Muttering a small prayer of faith, he moved back to the cabin. Grabbing the kindling from where it was stored, he went back into the house to try and revive the fire as quickly as he could.

In the distance, the strange man reappeared. At first, he was perplexed. Leaning on his staff of wood and ice, he thought to himself. As he mulled over what happened, he ended up chuckling. Originally, he was only playing a rather common prank. _Let the cold wind into the house, cause a little panic, and freeze them all for a little bit. Nothing harmful at all._ It was something he always did when he was bored. He wasn't counting on the child to be touched by his winter chill. It had an odd effect on her. For some reason, he was drawn to it.  _Could it be that something I secretly wanted had finally happened?_  Deciding to stick around and watch her, he knew he had time to kill. It's all he ever had now.

The father got the fire stoked back up, and the small cabin was warmed again within the hour under his expert care. A hot stew was soon simmering over it in a small cauldron. The baby was warmed up, but didn't seem affected. If anything, her shaking chill was gone, but her eyes stayed the same. It did unnerve him a little, but she was sleeping in that peaceful state that all newborns did after nursing. As he thawed out some water to use for the stew, his wife looked over at him with a tired smile.

"What is it?" he asked, as he poured the carefully thawed water into the cauldron. More rabbit meat was added next. He needed his wife to regain as much strength as she could.

"What do we name her?" she smiled.

"Hmm. I know. Let's call her...Jenna," he smiled back. She nodded and lay back against the cushioning furs that were piled around her. He was one of the best hunters in the village. Furs were always plentiful, and they were purposely placed around her when she needed them. When she couldn't rest, he took out a bone flute that he carved out himself and started to play it. The new mother found herself relaxing at the soft sound. He knew she needed to rest, and playing the small flute showed that everything was at ease. With the warmth of the hearth going strong, and the exhaustion of the birthing finally taking its toll, she gave a tired sigh and drifted off to sleep with her newborn.


	2. Chapter 2

Since her birth, the cold never really bothered the girl, as she grew through the years. It was a bit eerie to the villagers, but she held her own and helped when she could. She was actually quite useful. During the warmer months, she appeared to be another villager. When it came to the colder times, she was always the first to be called on for assistance. She could tolerate quite a bit of the frigid weather, but only by so much. She may not mentally feel the chill, but her body could easily give out if it was too much. When she started to shiver, it was a clear sign that she would need the warmth of the fire, but it was only to warm her body. She could scarcely remember a winter where she was the one chosen to fetch the livestock, or chop the wood when the weather was at its coldest.

"Jenna! The fire needs kindling!" her mother called out from the tiny kitchen.

"Okay! I'll feed the sheep, too!" she replied from her small bedroom along the eastern main wall. The small cabin was extended out just enough to make space for her. Her father had gone missing three years after she was born. He went out to hunt in the snow and never returned. A search party was done, but nothing was found. It was actually common now for villagers to go missing during a hunting outing in winter. As much as she grieved with her mother, they had to continue to survive. It was only after he disappeared that Jenna was forced to do all the outside chores.

As she made her way outside, she muttered under her breath, "Oh, Father, where are you? Ever since that night, things have been much harder since you left. I fear the worst. I always have. At least you were able to teach me what you knew. Such as how to prepare kindling, and how to keep it ready. Good thing I kept the kindling in bulk, as you always advised me to do. It would have been nice to have learned how to hunt. Livestock do take up the slack, but it gets boring. But...oh well. As it is, the grain should be dry enough, too."

As she went to where the firewood was kept dry under various skins, she looked over the livestock.  _The sheep were cared for under the thatch covers and quite warm._  They had to resort to livestock when their father vanished. He was an avid hunter for them before. The animals they had weren't much, but they were able to trade their fleece for supplies. An animal or two would be butchered for food, but the trade helped to keep them going during the hardest of winters. As she fed the sheep, the cold clearly didn't bother her at all, and she wasn't surprised to find herself sitting down on a stump just inside their pen. She got lost in thought while she sat there, and she started to reminisce about her life. As if it ever helped her, but it always passed the time.

The main thing she recalled was what the neighboring villagers referred to her as.  _A Child of Winter. Whatever that meant._ She didn't know why she was called that when her skin was a warm, autumn gold. Even her hair was a soft, light brown. But, her eyes were clearly different than the others. They were the color of a clear, morning mist. It was as though the pigment was gone from them. There was just enough there to show it was a light blue. No one else had eyes like hers. Even the midwife that helped deliver her had never seen eyes like hers.  _That midwife never said a thing until the questions started up. When she talked about the odd chill that happened in the cabin, the rumors of me being cursed started to filter. At first, I was called out for being a witch. There was no proof, but, after the good deeds I did for the village, that speculation was shot down rather quickly._

 _I'm also the only one that could walk out in a blizzard and return with a half-frozen pet that was lost in the storm. I'm_ _even able to help find other villagers, if they were lost, too. I just...always seem to know where to look. One of the boys I found had his foot caught in a log! If it wasn't for me, he would have easily perished by either the storms, or the patrolling wolf pack._ She wished she could have tried to find her father, but she was far too young to search on her own.

One of the other village boys had actually dared her to go out all night in the cold to see if she could. That was a couple years back, when she was fourteen, and she sighed over it.  _I almost died that night. The cold was so severe! If I ran back, I would have been safe, and Mother wouldn't have been so frantic. I honestly wouldn't have cared to have been called names after that. But, then again, I wouldn't have met...him..._

 _Oh, he was so handsome! At first, I couldn't really tell if he was real. I was fighting so hard to stay awake at the time. What I did find odd was that he was wearing only a shirt and loose pants. He was even barefoot and walking in snow like nothing! It was almost as though he couldn't feel the cold like me._ It puzzled her.  _But, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here today._ She was amazed when he reached below his feet to pull a fur coat out from the snow.  _It was as though it was simply hidden there the whole time!_ It completely amazed her.  _But, it was the conversation he had with me that was alarming. It was almost as though he was pleased to see me. It was like he knew me and had watched me for a very long time. Almost as if he secretly protected me..._

She thought about the conversation he had with her.  _He had asked if I was cold. I said I wasn't. It was a clear truth, anyways. It had actually seemed to surprise him a bit._ Most would say it to try and impress him, but she didn't know that. He saw that she was shaking, but she simply didn't feel the cold. She could tell that he was indecisive over various things.  _He had taken a staff off his back to lean on, as he watched me, and even the staff seemed odd. It looked like it was covered in ice. I would have almost thought that it was made of ice, but there was just a slight hint of wood under the thick layer. Just by being near the staff, it made my body shiver even more, but I didn't feel it._ She couldn't explain it.  _Even as he wrapped the heavy fur around my body and left, I just...I have this feeling that I'm going to see him again._ She actually wanted to see him again.  _He was as different as I am, and I feel...tied to him, somehow. Why was that?_

As she tried to remember more of the meeting, she suddenly glanced up at a looming shadow.  _It was him._ A shock of light blue hair that was spiked up an inch in height was the first thing noticed. Then it was the incredibly pale, blue skin. The thin, brown tunic and loose brown pants barely hid the strong, lithe physique he had. He was thin, but it was more like an athletic build, if that. She regarded him a touch speechlessly, as he knelt down to study her.

Her mind was barely functioning at the time he last saw her. She didn't quite remember what he looked like, only that he was very handsome.  _And he still was._  It actually took her breath away for a moment, and she found herself shivering.  _How long was I outside for? Was I lost in thought for so long?!_ His staff was actually strapped to his back now and out of the way. At her astonished look, he chuckled and asked, "Hmm. You're shivering. Are you cold?"

"No," she frowned. "I am not cold. Who are you?"

"Ah. Able to think again?" he smiled. He made a mound of snow into the form of a chair and sat in it. "Before I tell you, I need to ask you some questions. I tried to ask you them before, but your mind wasn't fully there. So, I would like to ask them again."

"Okay," she nodded. His voice was very pleasing to listen to. She really liked it.

"How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen winters. Two have passed since we met, I think."

"I see. What season were you born in?"

"Winter, actually. In the last month of the year. There was a large winter storm when I was born, and I was told that I was frozen when I was born. The villagers call me a Child of Winter. I honestly don't feel cold, but my body can feel cold without me knowing. So, it's the truth when I say I don't feel cold."

"All your life this has happened?"

"Yes."

"Very interesting," he mused. He knew all of this, of course. He was just making conversation. "So, you don't feel cold, mentally, but your body does physically. Hmm. Interesting, indeed..."

She watched him get up and walk around as though trying to decide on something. He glanced over, as he heard someone leaving the house, and he frowned. _It was her mother looking for her._   _Likely trying to find out what was taking so long._ Taking his staff off his back, he blew on the edge of it to cause a flurry of snow in that direction. It caused the intruder to head back in quickly. When the door slammed shut, he was at the door within seconds to tap on the handle. He froze it from the inside out. _Now the door wouldn't budge until it thawed._ Grinning to himself, he was back at Jenna's spot with his staff on his back and sitting back down as though he never moved from it.

"Who are you?!" she gasped.

"In a moment I'll get to that," he said with a touch of mischief in his ice blue eyes. They almost reminded her of the frozen blue frost on a pond before it turned to ice. "I want to give you something."

"Why should I accept something from someone that won't tell me a name?" she frowned.

"So true!" he giggled playfully. "I suppose you're right. Tell me. Have you ever heard of something that's referred to as, oh...a sprite of winter?"

"A sprite? A mischief making pixie?" she asked with a harder frown. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know of one specifically associated with winter itself? Like...oh...the embodiment of frost or snow? The one that makes the rime on your shoes? Or the frost on your windows?"

"Well, the only name that comes to mind would be Father Winter..." she thought. Then she looked at his wide grin.

"I'm not actually a father. So, you can call me Jack. Okay?" he winked. She was in shock. Now it all fit into place for her.

"Don't you have...other places to be?" she asked.

"Not really. Winter tends to itself. I can actually appear in other seasons. I like to confuse the simple folk with that unusually cold breeze from time to time. Of course, winter is the most fun! Winter is when I can reign as a form of supremacy. However, when it comes to weather, itself, I simply help it along. But...well...you impress me. There's something about you that I like. I usually don't bother with others. No need to, really. As for you, I want to get to know you more. You're...special to me. I think. Maybe. So, I'll have to hang out a while longer. I'm sure you won't mind. Right?"

"But...why?" she frowned.

"I'm collecting a debt."

"What debt?!"

"For saving your life."

"But I didn't ask you to!"

"No, you didn't. But, you accepted it all the same. You still have the fur, don't you?"

"I..." she frowned and sulked.  _It was on her bed, and she slept with it practically every night._  He knew this. "What debt do you need?"

"Your talent has not yet matured. In time, your daughters will inherit it. Only one will surpass you. That is the one I will follow around in life," he muttered to her, as he leaned in close. "One of your daughters is destined to be mine. Until then, I will ensure your survival. I will ensure the chosen daughter's survival. I will follow that line of girls through the ages until both mind and body are able to resist the cold. Only then will I claim the final one as my bride."

"A bride?" she blinked.

"Yes."

"And, if there are no daughters born from me?"

"Then one of your sons will carry it, and I will follow him until he produces a daughter."

"How will you ensure my survival? How will you follow me? Why can't you simply make me your bride?" she found herself spewing out the questions. Then she blushed at what she asked and looked away. At the last question asked, he carefully moved to touch the top of her hand. Now she gasped. She felt the chill of his touch. Her flesh was chilled completely blue, and she even saw the slight imprint of his fingers there. If it was any longer, she would have lost her hand.

"That is why I cannot make you my bride now," he said with a soft, sad smile. "As much as I want to, your talent is not perfect. You are not ready for me. I would kill you just by trying to hug you with bare flesh. It must get stronger with each generation of yours. So, in turn, I will ensure that you have a proper husband to marry. I will take care of your funding needs, and I will make sure you never go into poverty. I will protect the daughter you birth that will inherit your ability. I will handle everything."

"So..." she paused. "you would have made me your bride?!"

"Yes," he nodded. "But, as I have just shown you, my very touch would harm you."

"You actually...find me attractive...?"

"Very. I'd try to hide it, but...why bother?" he said with a small grin. "So, yes. I am attracted to you. I always was, I think. Anyways, you know now why I can't make you my bride."

"I do have a request of you."

"Oh? What is that?"

"When I'm on my deathbed...I would like to see you before I die," she said softly.

"I can arrange that," he nodded lightly.

"And...if I'm suffering..."

"Worry not. I won't let you suffer for long," he said gently. She gave a small nod at this. It was just the fact of knowing that she would be tended to, if it came to it. She felt some relief in it. Then she thought, and he looked at her curiously.

"How will you track down my daughters?" she asked. She was actually trying to thaw her skin out by unconsciously rubbing it warm. It would be permanently marked with numbness after it healed, but it would never cause her permanent harm.

"With this token," he said, as he pulled out a perfectly formed ice sphere that fit neatly in the center of his palm. It was chiseled with elaborate engravings and looked quite heavy. At the very top of it was a runic symbol for ice. "It's an ice diamond. One of the only few ever made. Only I can make them. Quite rare, this way. This one, however, is priceless. It's very special and can never be sold or given away. You could say that, oh, it's a bit of a part of me. In that sense. You can give this to your destined daughter to hold onto when she is ready to leave your side."

"All right. I understand. But, I...do have a question now. An important one, you see. If you can answer it, I'd be grateful," she said, as she looked troubled.

"Go ahead. If I can answer, I will."

"My father. Do you...know what happened to him?"

"I do," he nodded. "I saw everything. You have my deepest apologies. I tried to save him."

"So...he's gone?" she asked with a touch of despair.

"He is. Hunting in winter is always risky. Everyone knows that. Even wolves...need to eat..."

She gasped, and he actually found himself pulling another fur out from the ground to wrap around her to comfort her. It was the only safe way to be close to her. He was surprised at himself for going so far. It was then that he realized that, as long as a heavy fur was between them, he could touch her safely. But, he wouldn't want to risk it. He watched her carefully, as she kept control of her emotions. _The time was past for shedding tears, but it was just the shock of knowing._  He knew this. When the shock passed, he pulled a bone flute out from the snow next. It was the same one that her father always played on when he was at home and content. Now the tears fell, as she could only nod.

"Thank you," she whispered, and she took the flute. "I'll give it to my Mother."

"Of course," he nodded. "I'll be watching over you. Oh. Here. Before I forget."

She blinked at two pouches given to her. One held a small collection of ice diamonds that would be easy to sell. The other was empty to hold his token. He told her softly to not touch the diamonds unless it was necessary. Even she understood this.  _Greed can take on a deadly turn._  What he didn't tell her was that the smaller diamonds could be tracked and destroyed if used for unreasonable terms. He could simply remove them and change them back into water. When he left, she got up and hugged the small flute to her. The memories she had of her father were very scarce, but she treasured them with everything she had. She hid the pouches in her tunic. She'd work on stitching inner pockets later. She had to do so, anyways, for coin when she traded supplies. Moving to the door of the cabin, she saw what Jack did to keep it closed. She actually found herself giggling a bit.

"I can't open the door!" her mother shouted.

"It's frozen! Get a coal from the hearth!" she shouted back. She heard her mother swear, and she shook her head. It took some time, but the door was thawed enough to budge it open. Only when she was safely inside did she reveal the flute.

"This flute!" her mother said with an aching tone in her voice.

"I found it outside. It's what took so long," Jenna said with her own trembling voice, and they hugged. "I counted the sheep. They are all there. I heard the wind whistling oddly, and I found the flute on the ground near them."

"I wish I knew what happened to your father," her mother admitted.

"Sometimes...it's best not to know," Jenna said softly. At this, her mother could only nod. Her mother was starting to get older, as it was. She didn't want to burden her with how he died.


	3. Chapter 3

As they worked in the home, Jack was scouring the surrounding area.  _It was time to find Jenna a worthy husband._ He knew her mother was sick and didn't have long.  _Maybe another year or two, if that. Humans tended to die rather quickly._  Hovering on the wind, he listened for anything of use. He was about to give up and search elsewhere, but he heard a rather interesting conversation happening in the village. Landing on a rooftop, he settled down to eavesdrop.

"You'll never find a girl, Clifton! Stop mugging about!" an older teenage boy snickered.

"Neither will you, John!" the other boy retorted. "With the way you make the girls cry by breathing on them! You even melt the ice from the stench that comes from your mouth!"

"Do not!" the youth flustered. Jack was grinning a touch at this, but there was something about the one called Clifton that sparked an interest. He had been listening to the village gossip before, for anything about Jenna, so it was easy to recall what he knew about the young man.  _He was well liked in the village. He was a very hard worker, and he was already making a small name for himself with his wood working and carpentry. He was even starting to make small, basic traps for snaring animals instead of actively hunting them. It was much safer, and it salvaged the pelts, too._ From what else Jack could recall, he did have a faint fondness for Jenna.  _Maybe it was time to test the theory..._

He waited until two hours before dusk. He watched Clifton build up the hearth in the home and take out the traps he made for the night. He was set to replace the ones that had broken or went missing, if the animal got loose. As the youth made his rounds, Jack lightly touched a trap that was being approached to freeze it over. This had Clifton swearing by the time he reached it to try and pry it open.

"Damned weather!" he snorted, as he jabbed the ice free with a small stone pick. "It's gonna ruin it! Ah, damn! There's ice all through the string and leather!"

"Jenna could help you," Jack said, as he calmly approached. Clifton spun around and stared at him. "She is a bit, oh, used to the cold, you know."

"I've never seen you before," Clifton muttered. As Jack was being studied, the youth was being studied in turn.  _He was filling out nicely in the chest already from working with a hammer and chisel. His hair was a burnished brown-red color, but his skin was neatly tanned. He wasn't too tall or too short, either. He would be perfect for Jenna._

"I've been around. Anyways, like I said, you should have Jenna help you," Jack smirked.

"Her? The cold girl? She's cursed!" he scowled.

"And yet, she helped you find your way through that ice storm three years back. Right? Or am I wrong?" Jack asked calmly. Clifton gaped. He told no one about that. "Yes. You were searching for wood and the storm hit. No one could find you. So, on a whim, she went out and found you with your foot stuck in a broken log. That's what also gave you the idea to make traps. Am I wrong?"

"Who are you?!" Clifton asked now.  _He was clearly not mortal with skin and hair like that!_

"Jenna's benefactor," Jack said lightly. "I told her I would find someone for her. You fit the bill for her. Now go to her. Talk to her. Get to know her. Marry her."

"And if I say no?" he growled. Jack grinned wickedly and touched another trap of leather and string at the youth's hip. When it froze over, his jaw dropped.

"I'll break every trap you make from this point forward," Jack grinned. "With glee!"

"If her sire was around, he'd kill you!" he muttered. "If only he was found!"

"I saw him die by the wolf pack your village is trying to kill," Jack said seriously, and he leaned towards him on his staff. Now Clifton looked at him with disbelief. "I tried to help him. But...even wolves know how to move in a storm. And, yes, Jenna knows. I told her this. Just earlier today, in fact. Her mother does not know. It will harm more than help, if her mother knew what happened. However, if you marry Jenna, I will help you get revenge for her father's death with your traps and hunting skills. I will help you make some decent coin off of those pelts. I can even help keep your family from going hungry in the hardest of winters."

"What's so special about Jenna?" he asked. "What's in it for you?"

"She's important to me. She owes me a small debt. Why? Simple. I saved her life. This was a year after you were saved. As for the debt, it happened on the night your friend, John, dared her to pull an all-nighter in the storm. She nearly froze to death. I found her. I saved her. So, she owes me a debt and has agreed to my terms. The chill that lives in her bones will be passed down to her offspring. Eventually, one of her daughters will be meant for me."

"She almost died..." Clifton blinked. He seemed to disregard everything else said. Just the fact that she nearly died shook him to the core. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Are you?" Jack asked with amusement. "I thought you didn't like Jenna?"

"I..." Clifton started and looked away. "I do like her. I just don't know if she would ever like me. I wish I knew."

"If you help her get vengeance for her father, she will marry you without a second thought. Love can happen later. This I do know," Jack nodded.

"But, I don't want her to marry me just for that! I want it to mean something! If you really know everything about her...about us as a village...then you should know what our marriages mean," he said.

"True. I have witnessed a few of them," Jack mused. "Fine. Go to her. Have her help you with your traps. Tell her what you want to do to help her. Just be quick about it before nightfall hits. It's getting dark enough, and she needs to fully see you before the sun goes down."

"Fine," Clifton mumbled and left quickly. He knew the man he spoke to wasn't human. _It was only obvious._  He would have to think more on it later. Right now, he wanted to see Jenna. Learning that she almost died sent an unusual protective streak through him. He needed to see to her safety. Jack followed closely behind him, unnoticed and shielded by the power of the staff and the chilling wind. He was quite pleased with himself.

Jenna was busy helping break the snow away from the ground to reveal the grass for the small flock of sheep to graze. At the sound of crunching snow, she looked up with a touch of alarm. On seeing who it was, she frowned and said, "Clifton? Is that you?"

"Yes," he said with a small smile. "Um, I need some help."

"With what?" she asked curiously.

"My traps froze over," he frowned and showed them to her. She clucked her tongue and took one to start breaking the ice off of it. "An odd man did it."

"What?" she paused, and she looked at him with concern.

"Yeah. He also told me...that...well...he saved your life. Is this true?"

"Oh. Yes. He did," she said softly. She began to work on the trap again. Then he saw the bandage on her hand and pointed at it.

"What is that?!" he demanded.

"Just a bit of a freeze happened. I'm fine. It doesn't hurt, and it's almost healed," she said.

"Freeze? From what? I thought you couldn't be frozen!"

"Apparently, I can't feel the cold, but my body still gets hurt by it," she sighed. "It's how I almost died, you see. My body needs to stay warm. I thought you knew this!"

"Not all of it. I was only told small things. You know how gossip goes. I didn't know that you were dared to go out that night, either!" he growled. "I'm gonna kill him when I see him!"

"What's gotten into you?!" Jenna asked. She stood up now, and the trap was fully forgotten. She gasped when she found herself pulled into his arms and hugged. She was surprised at how warm he was. She didn't expect that, and she shivered. In a way, it didn't feel right to her.  _He wasn't Jack._ Clifton was just surprised at how cold Jenna was to the touch. Now he focused on trying to warm her, and, as much as he hated to admit it, he began to find her quite beautiful.

"Tell me, Jenna," he sighed, as he hugged her. "Have you ever thought about me?"

"Well..." she faltered. "I can't say that I've thought about anyone. I always thought that I was an outcast from what I can do. Just appreciated for small things. I never gave it much thought, truly."

"Would you...think about me?" he asked. "About us being together?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"I've always cared about you, Jenna. Ever since you helped me in that storm. It's true that I didn't trust you at first. But...with you saving my life that night...it changed everything."

"I see. The town would see you as an outcast, too, though. Won't they?"

"I wouldn't care," he admitted. That had her look at him with surprise. "You've been supplying me with trade for the carpentry I do. If it wasn't for the fleece from your sheep, the village would be suffering! I can defend you with that. And, on top of that, everyone knows that I'm getting far more skilled with the carpentry trade. I'm also hoping that...with the traps...I'll finally be able to bring down the wolves, too. If I can kill them off, then no one can say anything about us."

"Do you think you can?" she asked with a touch of hopefulness. Now he looked at her and saw exactly how hurt she was by the knowledge of her father's death. He swallowed and nodded.

"If you marry me, I vow to bring every one of those furry bastards down!" he growled. Jack could only smile a bit tightly at the kiss that was shared next. He saw Jenna as his, but he would wait.  _Her offspring with this promising lad would empower the gift she had._ He waited all this time for another to be like himself.  _Another century or two was nothing._  He always had time to kill.


	4. Chapter 4

He witnessed their marriage about four months later. Even though she was sixteen and he was seventeen, marriages like this were fairly common. True to his word, though, he helped Clifton take out every single wolf until the pack finally fled the region. The small village started to prosper after the threat was gone. It wouldn't be until a year later in the thick of winter that Jack would find himself at the door of the small hut. Jenna was giving birth to her firstborn. She hadn't touched any of the ice diamonds to sell, since their trade of fleece, furs, and carpentry was more than enough to keep them stable.

"Oh. It's you," Clifton frowned, as he answered the door. He was starting to grow a beard out, but he was trying to keep it groomed back.

"Yes. I'm sure she told you of her debt to me?" he asked.

"She has. You did tell me something of it before. So, I know why you're here now. And I haven't forgotten your help with the wolves. What happens if her firstborn is the one you need? I won't let you take my child away from us!"

"Of course not! I can't care for an infant! I am only here to see if it is the one that I will need to protect with the family. I have no plans to take anyone away. Besides, the talent needs to mature more. It could take a few of your generations. All I am doing is showing that I'm here," Jack said with a smirk.

"Fine," he nodded and let Jack in. Clifton could already feel the chill from otherworldly man, and he moved to sit by Jenna. The midwife appeared next, and she gaped in shock at the sight of Jack. She was the very same midwife that helped Jenna when she was being born into the world. On looking at the pale blue man, she recognized exactly who he was. Then the connection came to her as to how Jenna had her strange talent. What she thought, though, was that Jack was her father. Far from the truth, but Jack couldn't let the villagers know of his hand with Jenna's upbringing.

"Just do your job," Jack muttered to her. "I'll ensure that you'll never have a cold breeze in or around your house again with each birth you assist Jenna with. But, if you speak of me to the village, you'll find your house snowed in each winter. Got it?" he growled.

"Y-yes, Sir!" she gaped. Clifton actually found himself grinning.  _The midwife was the main source of town gossip. If Jack could still her tongue, it would be for the best._

"Oh. And, to add more insult to injury, I will further ensure that, if you break your word, not only will your house be covered in snow, but no one will feel welcome around you ever again!" he added. The midwife could only nod. Jenna was too focused on controlling the contractions that had started after her water broke. Within the hour, Clifton was holding his son. Jack could tell that it wasn't the child he would be following. There was a bit of relief on the new father's face when Jack left shortly after.

"So, our firstborn is not the one," Jenna sighed.

"No," Clifton smiled and kissed her forehead, as she nursed their son. "I'll check the traps."

"All right, dear," she smiled warmly. Her mother had already passed on earlier in the year before their son was born. Clifton had promised the dying woman that he would tend to Jenna's every need. He was proving it with each day.

As the days passed, Jack kept a vigil watch on the small village. The midwife was about to let her knowledge of him start up, but he sent a warning chill around her in the middle of summer. It shut her up neatly, and she kept quiet. Normally, he wouldn't be around during the other seasons. It took a bit more effort for him to do so. He was making a dire exception with Jenna. He needed to ensure her safety. With a wry grin, he fell into the easy gait he normally did to let time fly by. It wouldn't be until the next winter that he would be forced to assist Jenna again.

She was heavily pregnant with her second child. She never thought anything of it, but she would only seem to give birth to children in winter. It would actually be a trait that would become common with her descendants. Something sparked Jack's attention that something was going to go wrong. She was delivering the latest batch of furs to the local trader. After the trade for coin was done, she hid the coin pouch in her bodice when she started to make her way back.

Clifton was checking his traps and gathering wood. Her son was with her, and she carried him on her back in a securely strapped bundle of small furs to keep him warm. As she made her way out of the village, she started to walk to the main road towards her small wooden cabin. When she got halfway there, three men approached her. They clearly meant trouble by their rough dress and surly attitudes.

"A pretty lady all alone?" the first man sneered.

"What do you want?" Jenna frowned.

"You just made a deal, didn't you? We saw the furs you had," the second man smirked. "Must have gotten quite a bit of coin, eh?"

"That is of no concern to you!" she snapped. The third man simply stayed in her path, as the other two moved around her. Her son started to cry.

"A little one? Why didn't you say you had one on you?" the first guy laughed.

"And another in me," she growled. The heavy fur she was wearing over herself had covered up her current pregnancy rather neatly. She had to ensure to keep herself warm for it.

"Oh! Pregnant women are such a treat!" the third man finally snickered.

"And this one will remain untouched!" Jack said sternly, and he appeared behind her neatly. The baby cried out sharply from the cold aura he gave off, and Jenna was quick to throw a fur cover over her son's face. When she did that, he moved in front of her. His severe chilling presence forced the one blocking her from behind to sidestep away. Then the one in front of her had to do the same thing.  _The path was now clear for us._  That was what Jack planned on.

"What are you?!" the first man asked with astonishment.

"I will be your death, if you don't get out of her way," Jack growled. Then he thought with a smirk. he remembered what he caught them doing the night before. "Hmm. Considering what I know all about you three. Let me guess. Sheep aren't enough for you anymore?"

"WHAT?!" the second man gaped.

"I know the three of you are desperate for attention, but couldn't you at least pay attention to each other instead of livestock? Where is your shame?!" Jack scolded. The three men were livid now and moved to strike at him. Using the wind for his movements, he let them hit each other. Now that they were preoccupied with killing each other for the missed hits, Jack neatly escorted Jenna to the cabin.

"Sheep?" she frowned. He whispered to her, and she dropped her jaw with shock. "I'll let them nowhere near my flock!"

"Don't worry. I'll handle them tonight," he nodded. "I don't want this to happen again, and it was luck that I was around. We need to do something about that. Jenna, please do something for me."

"Yes, Jack?" she smiled. He was momentarily stunned by her beauty. He regained control of himself neatly. He ached to hold her, but he kept himself back. He couldn't do anything with her. He reminded himself that she was very fragile, and that she was no longer available. Her pregnancy, and the baby she carried in furs on her back, was an easy way to keep what he wanted in check.

"The next time you are in danger, I want you to take out my token and say my name. I'll hear you and fight at your side," he said gently. He hadn't pulled away from her, and his face was rather close to hers. Jenna could only marvel that his scent reminded her of a crisp, clear winter morning. It made her heart ache to be with him, as it pounded in her chest.

"Thank you, Jack," she whispered. His mouth was less than an inch apart from hers. "For protecting me. I don't want to think about what could have happened..."

"It's fine," he muttered and stepped back. She could tell he wanted her. He knew she wanted him, too. He had to change the subject. "You should tend to your son. I'm sure he's cold."

"Of course," she said with a sigh, as she looked away. When she turned to look out from the cabin door, he was still there. He was fighting with himself. "Did you want to come in?"

"I might chill the place up. It's not wise," he said with a small smile.

"I have to tend to the sheep. Will you...?" she stopped herself and worried her lip.

"I can wait for your son to fall asleep," he chuckled. She nodded with a smile of her own and went inside. He scowled at himself. "Jack, you're an idiot! Hmm..."

He scanned the wind to see where Clifton was.  _He was a mile out and handling a new carcass of a trapped rabbit. I have two hours before the protective husband made it back._ After ten minutes, she came out wearing one of the furs Jack gave her. He had given her quite a few of them on occasion. This one was a startling white, and it was too priceless to sell. It kept her the warmest when she needed it. She looked beautiful with it on. Despite what he tried to keep himself from doing, he found himself hugging her. He could feel her shaking, but it wasn't from the cold. He never tried to hug her before. He always kept her at an arm's length from himself. He was able to give some comfort before, when she learned about her father, but he never tried to pull her close to him. There was something about how she was now that drew him to her in such a way that it was an uncontrollable reaction.

"Why, Jack?! Why couldn't you have married me?!" she whimpered against his lightly clothed shoulder. He cringed, as she hugged him back.

"I'd kill you, Jenna. You know this," he grounded out. "We talked about this before! My touch would hurt you! I can't touch you!"

"But...I'm fine with furs..."

"You would want physical contact, though."

"I can get by!"

"Please, Jenna! I don't want to harm your current pregnancy!"

"Don't you want me, Jack?"

"You know I want you!" he scowled and grumbled to himself. "I just don't want to hurt you!"

"But, I'm already pregnant! I can't get with another child! How could you hurt me?"

"I don't know if I'll hurt the child growing in you, Jenna. You know how I'm winter, itself, at times! I don't want to harm what is already there. That and I...I don't know what would happen to you," he sighed. "I don't want to risk it. I can't risk it."

"I want you to risk it," she whispered.

"No," he said sternly, but he didn't let her go. "Jenna...please..."

She pressed a kiss to his lips. He looked at her with shock. On studying her closely, he saw that she wasn't harmed by it. Then he realized that it was his direct touch with his hands that could harm her. _I want her._ He knew it. She knew it. The look in her eyes said everything. He took a deep breath and carefully pushed her away, but it was gentle. She looked hurt and torn, as she asked, "Why?"

"I really don't know what will happen with your current pregnancy," he sighed. "I'll tell you what. Wait until you birth the one that is destined for me. We can...try something then. This way, if something does happen, it won't interfere with you. Will that work for you? Will you accept this?"

"Okay," she nodded. "I can do that."

"Thank you, Jenna," he smiled now. "It's not that I don't want you. You know I do. I just can't risk harming you. I've never been with a mortal woman like yourself. Much less cared for one that I would break my own rules for. I honestly don't know what will happen. And...I'll tell you a secret."

"Okay."

"I am the reason you are able to keep from feeling the cold."

"What?" she frowned.

"You know how I'm a prankster. A mischief maker. I didn't know that your mother was giving birth to you. All I did was make the cold breeze that went through your home. The cold sort of...attached to you. It became a small part of you..."

"You...were responsible for...what I am?" she asked with a form of shock.

"Yes..." he said, as he turned away. He actually felt bad about it now. _In a way, I could be her father with how I gave her the chilling immunity. But that wasn't the case, since she was already made and being born when it happened._   _My magic chill was simply receptive to her._  On thinking of this, he prepared to leave her side. She had other ideas. She grabbed his tunic to pull him back to her, and she kissed him fully now. In his shock, he could only give in. He wasn't used to this. This never happened to him before.  _Why did she kiss me?!_

"Thank you," she said when she broke the kiss. Her breath misted out slightly from the reaction to his icy mouth. Oh, she knew her tongue was numb from rubbing against his, but she didn't care.

"For what?" he asked. His heart was pounding in his chest. He had no clue on how to react to such a situation. When it came to something like this, he simply didn't know what to do.

"For giving yourself a reason to come into my life," she whispered and kissed him again. Once more, he gave in to her kiss. He couldn't stop himself, much less want to break it off. All that she could think of was that she was kissing a solid form of a winter wind with a mild aftertaste of cool, refreshing ice water. It was something she was easily enjoying. When he pulled away, he finally saw that her lips were starting to tinge blue.

"Jenna..." he sighed. "you need to warm up now. Your husband is on his way back."

"Jack," she frowned.

"I'll return when he goes back out hunting. You have my word."

"I should have married you. You should have made me your bride."

"You wouldn't be safe with me."

"I'm always safe with you."

"Not all the time," he said with a rather gentle smile. Her lighter ice blue eyes held his darker ice blue eyes. Very carefully, she reached up and caressed his cheek. Her hand chilled, but it wasn't intense. It was like touching a form of ice that never melted. He blinked slowly at her and looked towards the wilderness. His staff was now off his back and in his hand to show that something was approaching. "You need to warm up. Now. Before anything else happens."

"You'll see me again?" she asked softly.

"I see you every day. I just try not to interfere," he smirked.

"Interfere with me whenever you can," she said with a small smile.

"Have a baby that carries your icy talent first. Then I'll do what I can."

"Promise?"

"I..." he winced. "I can't promise. You know what I am. I will attempt. That is the most I can do. It's all I can do, Jenna. I can't be there for you all the time. Only when the need is dire. I shouldn't even be here now! You know I'll need to leave you from time to time."

"Just...don't stay away for long," she whispered. He hugged her carefully.

"The only thing you can do is to call on me with my token if you come to danger. I will not come, if it is not needed. Remember that."

"I will. I won't abuse that," she promised. She was starting to shiver. He knew her body was losing heat. The fur was helping, but she was so close to him that it wasn't very effective. This was another reason why she couldn't be his bride.

"Please go back inside and warm up," he muttered.

"Kiss me again and I will," she nodded. He bent down and kissed her gently. He was easily a foot taller than her when he was up close. After the kiss, she hugged him again and trembled.

"I'll be back," he vowed softly, as he released her. "Don't worry."

In the cabin, her son cried out, as he woke up. She turned to the sound at first before looking back at Jack, but he was gone. He had to leave. He needed her to return to being a wife and mother. He hated to do it, but he had no choice.  _She needed to get warmed back up._   _She had to tend to her son._ As she did that, he distracted himself with idle town gossip and events. He even amused himself by tormenting the three men that tried to assault her. He was going to be paying rather close attention to them.

From a safe distance, he watched Clifton return with his catch. While he tended to Jenna, Jack thought of how the hunting was going. _The game population was rather low this time of year._ He thought of assisting in baiting a few traps. He did it before. He was about to start tracking down some sizable rabbits, but he heard a familiar sound in the distance. _The wolves returned. There seemed to be a lot more of them, too. And they sounded hungry. They would harm the traps and steal the animals caught in them. I have to bring it to Clifton's attention._  Then he mused, as it would give him a reason to see how Jenna was doing. He vanished to reappear at their cabin door.

A knock on the door roused the man from his chair by the fire. Jenna was mending one of his tunics and watched him open the door. Finding Jack there made her swallow, but she went back to her mending. If he appeared, she knew something was happening.

"Jack? What is it?" Clifton asked.

"The wolves are back," he said a bit lightly. "I had to let you know."

Jenna let out a soft gasp, and Clifton looked at her with concern. At Jack's own small nod of concern, Clifton was now putting on a heavier fur coat. His best traps were brought out with some bait. All he could think of was protecting the village again and selling the pelts. _Their meat wasn't bad, either, and it was a delicacy. It would all fetch a high price on the open market._

"I may be out all night," Clifton said.

"You'll be safe?" she frowned.

"I'll ensure it," Jack said. That brought a form of relief to her. He nodded slightly to her and moved off to vanish away in the distance. When they left, Jenna thought to herself and sighed.  _I love Jack._ She knew this in her heart. She knew he cared about her, too. Jack only brought Clifton to her, since he knew that she would be protected and cared for. She did care about her husband, but her heart belonged completely to Jack. And she knew that he knew it, too.


	5. Chapter 5

Two months later, the wolves were gone again, and she was in labor. The midwife was there. Jack was there, too. He showed up before the midwife again the moment Jenna started to show the signs of labor. Clifton let him in with a small nod, and Jack lounged by the door. The small boy toddled up to him curiously, and a small smile was given back.

"Let Uncle Jack be now," Clifton said sternly. Jack could only muse at what he was called. He was fine with it. He did leave the odd small fur for the boy to play with. It only seemed right while protecting the family. The midwife gave a wary glance at Jack, but he ignored her. His focus was on Jenna. When the baby girl was born, he moved to study the infant intensely.

"She isn't the one, either. These things do take time," he sighed. The little girl wailed and squeezed her brown eyes shut. Her brother had the same eyes.

"What will you do now?" Clifton asked.

"I'll patrol. The wolves are gone, but I am concerned about something up north. It's too far from here now, but, because of it, I will make a suggestion. Learn how to add blacksmithing to your carpentry and trapping skills. It's another good trade, and it's becoming popular all over the world," he said.

"Oh! I would purchase new tools from you, if you did!" the midwife gasped with delight.

"I would need to find a proper master of the trade," Clifton frowned.

"Leave that to me," Jack chuckled. "Jenna? You did a wonderful job. Keep it up."

"Of course...Jack..." she said with a sigh of exhaustion, and she was handed her daughter to nurse. When Jack left, he followed the sounds the wind gave him to the eastern part of the country. There was only one man that he knew of that would do what was required for Jenna's family to thrive.  _And the man needed help._  Jack appeared next to an old pine tree with his staff in hand to lean on, and he studied the situation. The man he sought was trying to repair a broken wagon wheel. The snow had become a soft slush under the heavy cart, and the wheel snapped at the joint. As the elderly man muttered swears to himself, he looked over his shoulder in shock.

"Hello," Jack said lightly, as he put his staff on his back. "Have some trouble there?"

"What manner of creature are you?" the man asked with amazement.

"Someone who knows that your trade is desperately needed somewhere. I can help you get to the village I speak of, but I need something done in return," Jack said calmly.

"Hmm. What village is this?" he asked.

"It's a small village that no one has ever heard of, but it's where most of the fur trade around here has been coming from," Jack said with a small smile. "There is a promising young man that does trapping and carpentry there. However, they have no blacksmith. He wants to do the trade, but he needs to be taught. He's supporting a family, too, and he knows this will benefit him."

"Well, I'm always ready to train a willing apprentice. What would be the pay?"

"Fur, coin, and profitable trade."

"How about this," he said. "I want to know who you are. In exchange, I will help the village."

"A trade for information? Haven't had that done in a long time," Jack mused. "I will give you your information after you set up a shop and trade in the village. Deal?"

"Done," he nodded. Profit and trade would come with his skills. Information was something he always needed.  _And this being was clearly someone that wasn't normal._ It was only obvious from how ice was used to carefully coat over all of the wheels to repair them. "Oh, I never introduced myself!"

"I know who you are, Master McGreggor," Jack chuckled. "And, in time, you will know me. As we have agreed on."

"Very well," the stocky, dark-skinned man nodded. His skin wasn't truly dark, but covered in soot from the coal he was putting under the wagon to give some traction. A small loss of coal was nothing to him. It was quite abundant. His massive, grey beard was tied down to keep from getting singed in flames, and his hair was long gone from his apprentice days when he botched his own fire. Tattoos covered his head to hide the burns, but they were all symbols of his trade. A heavy leather apron was over his chest and shoulders to leave his muscles bare for all to see. Heavy boots and pants of a dark brown were specially designed to repel intense heat. He was never very tall, as he came up to just about four feet in height, and there were rumors that he had Dwarven blood. He simply scoffed at them.

Jack waited for him to pick up the reins to the powerful oxen that pulled the cart. It took four of the massive, black beasts with white horns to pull the wagon. It was filled with rare ores, his smelter, and various weapons, tools, and armors he had crafted. The village was a good fifty miles away, but the power that Jack wielded had them make excellent time. He kept the snow soft, but sturdy enough to move on. When they reached the halfway point, they were forced to stop. _The oxen were getting exhausted._

"A shame. Your beasts of burden are cold," Jack frowned.

"I can make a camp for the rest of the night. They'll be fine in the morning. I usually heat a mash for them to warm their bellies, and they gather around the hearth I make," McGreggor said.

"I'll be back in the morning," Jack nodded. He left the man to tend to his oxen. He went to check on Jenna. Clifton was actually out checking his traps when he appeared. He knocked softly on the door, and Jenna was able to answer it.

"Jack? What are you doing here?" she frowned.

"A master blacksmith will be here in the morning. He will need a place in the village to set up his trade. He had to stop for the night. Are you well?" he asked.

"I can't sleep," she sighed and let him in. Jack glanced around and kept his chilling aura down to a bare minimum. Her children were now sleeping in her old bedroom. She looked very weary from the birth. She didn't look happy. She shouldn't even be up, but she felt a touch restless.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I miss you, Jack," she trembled. She was wearing the white fur, and he hugged her with a sigh. He glanced out to a window and let his chill wind blow it open slightly. It was only enough to judge where Clifton was.  _I have an hour and that was it._ When the window was pushed closed by the wind outside, he looked down into her eyes.

"You need to rest," he said.

"I will...if you stay with me."

"When you sleep, I will have to leave."

"That's fine."

"I'll sit by the door."

"Okay," she nodded. But, instead of letting her go, he hugged her tighter. There was something about her that was completely irresistible to him. Something kept telling him that  _now_  was the time to make her his. He was trying to fight it off.

"I can't...leave...yet..." he mumbled and kissed her hard.

"Clifton..." she sighed and kissed him back.

"Less than an hour away," he grounded out weakly.

"I have an idea," she gasped, as his icy breath moved down her neck. He was carefully keeping his hands on the fur. He didn't want to chill her to the bone.

"What?" he asked, as he gazed at her.

"You said before...how I got my talent with the cold. How I was being born, and it...absorbed in me. Maybe...just maybe...the same thing needs to be done again...but...at a deeper scale..." she whispered. Now he froze up in shock.  _She may be right._

"But...even I don't know..." he cringed.

"Let Clifton get me with child again. Be with me when I know I am carrying. Maybe...the more you are with me...the more of your icy chill will stay?" she asked.

"That is something...well..." he grimaced. "I just don't want you hurt."

"I won't be hurt. I know this," she smiled warmly. "Yes, this is a first for you. A bit of a first for me, too. But...even a hunter needs to try and fail in order to learn and succeed. Right?"

"Jenna..." he growled and kissed her again. "You may be right in this. Fine. I'll go with your suggestion. But...if something happens with the child..."

"Miscarriages are common in the village. Yet, I sort of think that it won't happen. Like you said, it may take several generations for a proper offspring to be produced. As much as I don't like thinking in that term, when it comes to you, I have to. I just have one final request of you, Jack."

"What is it?"

"Should the time come that...a true bride is born for you...please have her named after me," she whispered softly. "I want to know that I'll be with you again in some form..."

"Done!" he growled and kissed her a final time before gently pushing her away. "I need to go. Now. Before it gets too cold in here. You'll need time to heal. Then...when you're pregnant...I guess we can try something. If it works, I'll need to be sneaky with your other descendants."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to slip into their lives," she giggled, and he found himself grinning softly. With a final hug, she let him out of the cabin. He actually looked back at her with a small, heartfelt sigh before vanishing away to do what he had to do.  _He loved me._ She knew this now.  _He just couldn't voice it. At least, not yet._


	6. Chapter 6

The blacksmith was well-received when his wagon lumbered into the village. When he saw how badly he was needed, he demanded for a place to be set up for him right away. A spot near the back of the village was best. It was on the opposite side of town from Jenna's cabin, but that was fine. He didn't want the heat from his smelter to do any damage. Clifton was quickly introduced and became an avid apprentice. A few of the other boys took up apprenticeship alongside him, but he was proving to be every bit as reliable as Jack claimed.

Four months later, Jenna discovered she was pregnant after she threw up her breakfast. When her monthly bleeding didn't appear shortly after that, she knew it had to be true. She thought hard.  _Clifton was busy at the smithy now. The children were napping. My oldest was slowly starting to help with the household chores, but he still needed his sleep. Now would be the time to contact Jack, and there's only one way to do it._ She vowed she wouldn't abuse it, but he needed to know about this possibility.

Heading to the secret compartment built into the bed frame, she pulled out the small pouch that had his token. Not even her husband knew of this secret space. She built this in seclusion when he was out trapping late one night. Letting it roll into her hand neatly, it felt like she was holding a lump of ice. The other diamonds had a faint touch of a chill, but nothing like this.

"Jack..." she whispered to it gently. At the feel of a cold breeze followed by a fur getting wrapped around her shoulders before getting hugged, she chuckled.

"Why did you call?" he asked.

"I may be pregnant," she smiled.

"May? Or are?" he frowned.

"I have the same signs of my last two. I got ill for no reason, and my bleeding hasn't appeared."

"Wait one month. Let's make sure it's in full effect."

"Very well," she nodded. "I just wanted you to know."

"That's fine," he nodded back and watched her put his token back in the pouch. When it was secured in the small hideaway, he let her lean into him. The urge to be with her was there, but it wasn't as intense. On thinking about it, he realized why. _She was pregnant with another man's child._ He wanted to get her pregnant with his own child, but he knew it couldn't happen. He felt her press into him a bit more, and he looked over at the door.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I need to get going. I'll be back in a month, if not sooner."

"I see..."

"I told you that I would attempt. I can do no more than that," he said gently. Another kiss was pressed to her mouth before he let her go. When she turned to see him, he was already gone. This was another reason as to why she had Clifton, but he was always working now. She started to feel the emotional wave rise up, and she forced it back down. Then she paused.  _Now I know I'm pregnant._ The nasty mood swings were back in full force, and the tears welled up in her eyes. She had to distract herself, and she started to clean the small house up. A good ten minutes went by before she found herself pausing. She shivered and fought down the next wave of emotions that threatened her.

"Jenna?" Clifton asked, as he came in. When he saw her so unreasonably emotional, he paused. He recognized that sign all too well.

"How is work?" she asked lightly, as she fought her emotions back down.

"It's going," he said, and he walked up to her. "Jack paid me a visit."

"He did?" she frowned.

"He said that you looked...upset. So, I came home. Master McGreggor understood. When Jack said that you might be carrying, I was told to leave to tend to you. The kids asleep?"

"Yes," she smiled.  _Jack knew I needed comfort, and he sent Clifton to me._

"Jack also mentioned something else to me that made sense."

"What was it?"

"He said that...with me always working now and perfecting a new trade," he sighed. "you might feel abandoned. He...offered to keep you company from time to time. As a friend would."

"Did he really?!" she asked with surprise.  _That was completely unlike Jack!_

"As much as I know I would decline it, I also know how you can get," Clifton muttered. "I accepted his offer. He knows his boundaries. He's just thinking of your welfare."

"Apparently so," she grumbled. Now she felt irritated. At a knock on the door, Clifton opened it to find Jack. He was holding a small box wrapped in fur.

"Jenna, I had a feeling you might like this. I got it from a place called Switzerland. Enjoy," he grinned and handed the gift over. On opening the box, she blinked at the dark brown pieces in it.

"Um...what is it?" she frowned, as she held up a small lump.

"Eat one. Then I'll tell you," he grinned a bit wider. She took one out and popped a small piece into her mouth. At the taste of the sweet, creamy, delectable chocolate, she gasped and started to eat more. "It's called chocolate. It's mass produced where I got it, so I can always grab more."

"Can we make this?!" Clifton asked with bewilderment, as he tried a piece.

"Hmm. The main plant it's made from grows only in hot regions. It may be possible to buy pre-processed ingredients. It's a bit expensive. It's possible that Jenna could learn how to make it. Most of the chocolate makers aren't around here, though. But...if a trade route opened up..." he mused.

"I can ask Master McGreggor if he has connections," Clifton thought aloud. "I know he's visited lands all over. What other trades are out there?"

"Gem working is something large, too," Jack chuckled. "Such as making jewelry with precious stones and metals. It's very popular in certain cultures."

"Um..." Jenna started with a blush. She had cleaned out the box of chocolate. Jack only nodded, and she noticed that she felt much happier.

"Too much is bad. A little here and there is fine. I'll keep some on hand," he smiled.

"Good," Clifton said. "Let me talk to Master McGreggor. I'll be back in a bit."

"Of course," Jack nodded. When Clifton left, Jenna approached him now.

"You offered to be a companion?" she asked with a small smile.

"Something tells me..." he sighed hard, as he hugged her carefully with the fur. "that this pregnancy...is going to be...different. That's why."

"So, you think I'm pregnant, too?" she smiled a bit more.

"The chocolate proved it," he said with a smile back at her. At her look of surprise, he kissed her passionately before moving away from her. "I can't really do anything right now. He's on his way back. Go lay down. I'll sit by the door."

"You will?" she asked. He looked at her and noticed that an emotional wave was coming. He sighed again and hugged her.  _She had to let the tears come out._  When she started to calm down, he reached out to quickly catch one of her tears. Then he gave it to her as a form of crystallized ice. That actually got her blushing again, and she trembled.

"Are you cold?" he asked with a soft whisper.

"No," she muttered, and he kissed her gently.

"Go lay down," he urged gently.

"I actually need to eat," she frowned.

"Well, I'll likely freeze whatever is cooking over the fire," he shrugged. She found herself giggling with a small nod, and she was able to help herself to a bit of cooked pheasant on a spit. She needed the warmth of the meat, too. After she ate, he watched her settle into the bed of furs. When she started to finally doze off, Clifton walked back in.

"Did you eat?" he asked Jenna softly.

"Yes. The pheasant was perfect," she smiled. Her husband nodded to her, and he nodded slightly to Jack in thanks. A nod was given in reply.

"I'll patrol around the village. Tell me what you learned later," Jack said.

"Right," Clifton nodded. When Jenna fell asleep, Jack headed out into the night. It was only when he was a great distance away from the village did he fall into thought. He knew this pregnancy was different.  _I feel even more drawn to it even more than the other two. It almost reminds me of the night that Jenna was born._ He also knew that she needed hardier meat. Tracking down an aged bull elk, it was easy to let his chill creep into the old animal's bones and muscles to force it into a rather easy death.

"This should supply her with a few months of decent meat," he muttered. After it stopped breathing, he grabbed the animal by the horns and sped away with it. When he was back in front of the cabin, he knocked on the door.

"Jack?! What's going on?" Clifton frowned.

"I'm earning my keep," he smirked and presented the massive elk carcass to him. "Let it thaw a bit, and it's all yours."

"This is enough meat to last half a year!" Clifton chuckled, as he hauled the animal to the side of the house. A butchering pen was here.

"I have an idea for you to earn a bit more coin," Jack mused.

"What's that?"

"Make a storage house for storing food that requires cooling. I'll help keep the place chilled."

"Are you serious?! You would help?"

"For as long as I'm able. It's easy to make the walls of ice along the inside. This way, if I have to leave, the house will be fine in the hotter months. It would also give me a place to reside, if I had to."

"Why are you doing so much now?" he frowned.

"I think this pregnancy of hers is...the one I'm waiting for."

"Hmm. Well, if you think it is..."

"I've never felt such a drive to protect her now. It's important. And, well, with all the horrors that are starting to happen in the northern lands now..."

"What?"

"Yes. I didn't want to alarm anyone. Raiding parties have been scouring villages. This one is still far off, but I'm thwarting them away with winters harder than they've ever known. In time, I may end up constructing treacherous mountains of ice just to slow them down. It's why I insisted that you get a blacksmith here. You will need to forge weapons."

"Master McGreggor will need to know!"

"I think he has an idea. Why else would he insist to station himself so quickly?"

"Oh..."

"He saw promise in this village. I led him here, because he knew that I was something he never came across before. Soon, I will give him the information he needs about me. He has almost fully established himself. Has he asked if anyone knew about me?"

"He asked me, actually. I told him some of what I knew."

"All right. Tell him that, if he helps construct the storage house, I will give him his information."

"Right," Clifton nodded and went to see about butchering the carcass. As he did that, Jack checked on Jenna. She was sleeping rather deeply. As he moved to sit in a chair, he saw her son stirring from the small bedroom. Before he could cry out, Jack was up and getting Clifton. He couldn't handle the kids. He may chill them and endanger their lives. After the small boy was tended to, Clifton went back outside to work on the rest of the carcass. When Jack looked over at Jenna, he noticed something.  _She was sweating rather profusely._  Walking over to her, she gasped awake and looked at him.

"Are you all right?" Jack asked softly.

"I'm so hot..." she gasped. Then she gave a cringing cry of relief when he placed a hand on her clothed shoulder. Now Jack knew that this was the pregnancy he was waiting for.  _She needed to be cold every now and then._  He started to think.

"What's going on?!" Clifton growled, as he saw Jack sitting on the bed with his wife.

"She was overheating. My cold chill helped her. She needs water," he said calmly. At this, the man blinked and saw he was telling the truth. Even he could see the sweat that collected in her clothing. Water was quickly given to her, and she drank down several cups of it before she felt better.

"This really is the pregnancy. Isn't it?" he frowned.

"I believe it is," Jack sighed. "She will need my presence to keep herself cool. I may be able to chill down the mattress she's on, but it may cause discomfort to you."

"I can sleep on other furs. Let me get some meat cooking, and I'll prepare a small bed for myself. Jenna? Jack brought us some meat. It's elk meat, so, it will help you with your hunger," Clifton said.

"You...hunted for...me...?" Jenna asked, as she gave small gasps to catch her breath. Jack nodded slightly, and he moved aside to let Clifton help her sit up and remove the extra furs. This helped her immensely, and now Jack thought that he may not need to be around all the time. In the hotter months, he knew it was possible.  _But, if the storeroom was created, it could be a small retreat for her to keep herself cool in, too. It would benefit her and the village._ On stating this idea, Clifton now knew that he had to get that storeroom up as quickly as he could.

"Let him tend to you," Jack whispered, as Clifton left to bring in some large steaks. "I need to visit a few places. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Okay," she smiled. He kissed her forehead gently and left shortly after.


	7. Chapter 7

He wanted to check on what was going on in the northern lands. He needed to now. It was five hundred miles away, but he knew the village he was protecting was the tenth one down from other small, scattered villages. _Trade was vital between them._ He had to keep them all alive.

"One big mess. But...one vital solution..." Jack muttered. "Let's go say hi and have some fun."

He smirked to himself, as he wielded his staff to summon up a nasty, cold wind. It carried him easily to the northern lands, and he landed rather gently. What he saw was an encampment in the distance and studied what his wind told him.  _There were no women or children here. Raiders like them had no need for them around. They tended to be back at the main village away from the violence of everything. If there was the odd woman, she would be dead within a week from abuse. They respected their own women and children. The others were simply considered spoils after the raiding was done._

On listening to the idle gossip from the men around the camp, he learned that this raiding party was actually more like a scouting group.  _They only raided what they thought would benefit their village. They tended to leave merchants alone, if they were heading to and from their village. What they didn't know was that their village depended on the trade of the other villages. They were on the very same trade line the merchants followed along. They would be killing themselves, if they tried to attack anything to the south._  He also knew they wouldn't listen to him if he simply approached them.  _I need to scare them into reason._ He knew exactly how to do that. Locating the tent of the lead raider, he grinned and blew on the edge of his staff. The snowstorm created was unlike anything they had ever seen.

"Save the fire!" a scout screamed out.

"Where did this storm happen?!" a man cringed.

"My water froze!" another shouted. As chaos happened all around, Jack calmly walked through them and hummed softly to himself. Those that did see him had their mouths gaping. They saw him as the bringer of death. Many made small mutters of what faith they had. Any that tried to approach him were turned away from the severe cold that emanated from him. Jack was here on a mission. He wasn't going to be deterred. At his icy glare, many could vow they were chilled to the bone.

"Your leader. Out here. Now. Before everyone here freezes," Jack said lightly. "I don't have much patience. Be quick. Or die."

His words were heeded quickly. He kept the storm going easily, as he stood tall. When the leader finally approached him, Jack gave a cold, cruel chuckle. That made the man pause at first, but he had to be bold to show that he was able to confront such an abomination. Like the others, he wore the odd fur, patched up cloth clothing, and leather shoes. But, he wore a helmet with deer antlers to show his status. Now the leader of the raiders growled, gnashed his teeth together, and snarled out, "What are you?!"

"I am Father Winter," Jack smirked. At the sheer wave of cold that smacked into the human, the man gasped and coughed from it. "I am warning you this once. Do not attack south of here. Those villages are under my protection. They swore fealty to me. Attack anywhere else. But not south."

"Must be a vast treasure..." a man muttered. Before greed could set in, Jack used the wind to sprint to the man's side. A single, icy touch to his forehead was enough to freeze his head. Then Jack used his staff to smash the man's head to pieces all over the ground. When he turned to look at the gaping leader, his icy glare of warning was given again. He knew there was no such fealty given, but he didn't care about the lives of humans. A small white lie was usually all it took get what he wanted.

"There is no treasure there. I am merely fulfilling my end of a bargain. If you attack ANY village south of here... _I will know!_ " Jack snarled. "And I will  _find_  all of you and do EXACTLY what I just did to this human here! Unlike me...all of you need to sleep...at some point...right?"

"We will not raid south!" the leader said with a touch of fear in him. Normally his mercenary crew would see this as weakness. They saw it, this time, as a wise decision.

"If you keep to your bargain, I may have need of you. And I will pay well. In fact, here..." Jack mused and tossed him a small ice diamond. "That is one of many that I have. Stick to your oath to me, and I may have further use of you."

"You kill one of my men and expect me to obey you?!" the leader spat.

"He was a nuisance. He tried to get in my way," Jack said dryly. That made the other men shift nervously. "I know why you all are raiding. I know what towns and villages you need to plunder. The ones south of you hold no meaning. They are merely trading towns. They provide food and supplies to your own village further north."

"Why didn't you just say so?!" the leader frowned.

"You wouldn't have listened," Jack grinned. That made the man pout. He knew he wouldn't have listened. "There may be a time that I might call on you to help defend...or even protect...someone that I value. I'm not sure yet. It may never come to that. But...here..."

A small fur was produced, and writing was now etched into the hide. On giving it to the man, the leader muttered, "What is this?"

"A contract. If I have need of you, I will hire your services. If I don't have need of you, the fur will become a pile of diamonds like the one you have in your possession. Agreed?"

"Agreed," the leader said with a stubborn nod. "What places do we go to next?"

"There is another raiding party to the west. They are heading in a colliding point to your village," Jack said sternly. "If you leave now, you'll confront them and wipe them out. They will not expect it."

"Our village?!" a man hissed.

"Break camp!" the leader shouted. When he looked back at Jack, the otherworldly being was already gone. Knowing he was still around, the man said, "For this knowledge, we will keep to your contract. We will not attack south, but west, where our would-be attackers have come from!"

Jack chuckled to himself, and he showed that the man was heard when the odd storm suddenly died down to nothing.  _It was always like clockwork. Take out one of them with a show of force and power. Then they buckled to my will. If anything, I only bought some time._ He still had one other way to show how serious he was. Heading to an overlooked valley area where he knew any raider would try to slip in, he used his staff to raise up two giant mountains of ice. They would go unnoticed for quite some time, and he could even rest here to keep them chilled up when he wanted to be close to Jenna. Of course, raising two mountains of vast size and structure weakened him. He needed to recharge.

The mountains were three miles long and half a mile wide. Where they stopped was dense forest that was not safe for any human to go through. There was only one way through the mountains he made, and it would be treacherous for any man, carriage, or horse to get through. The chilling aura they gave off would even make many animals shy away. That and with the mountains being unnaturally cold, he knew they would wear down when they were no longer needed. As long as he lingered around them, they would stand through any of the hot months. Once he was sure they were fully stable, he had only one thought on his mind.  _I want to see Jenna._

Clifton was away at the blacksmith building. The two children were sleeping. Jenna was able to answer the door when he knocked on it. On seeing how he was struggling to stand, she gasped and moved to let him lean on her. He was grateful for the fur she wore around her shoulders.

"Jack! What happened?" she frowned.

"I created...two mountains...of solid ice...to protect this village..." he winced, and she helped him to a chair. "I can't show...how weak I am. I'll be fine...I just need an hour."

"Protect the village?" she frowned again, as she lightly caressed his cheek. He gasped and reached up to put his hand over hers. At first she expected his touch to freeze her. It did nothing this time. Jack could only blink at this.  _She was immune to me now?!_

"You can withstand me?" he asked with bewilderment.

"I think...because of this pregnancy..." she whispered. He looked at her and narrowed his eyes.  _Again, she was right._ But, he doubted it would be permanent after the baby was born.

"Clifton is at the smithy. The kids are sleeping," he muttered.

"Then why are you waiting?" she murmured, and he rose up to finally pull her close and kiss her the way he wanted to.  _This was the girl that should have been my bride. None other had ever touched my frozen heart so violently!_ He swallowed while she panted and removed her clothing for him. As he gazed at her, his hunger to claim her only got stronger.

"Are you cold?" he whispered.

"No," she said sternly, and he pulled her close. Once again, he let her teach him. She knew he had never done this with another. By the time it was over, he had no clue as to how much time had passed. He had started standing up with her. Now he was laying on a fur on the ground. She was nestled in his arms and snuggled into his chest. As much as he wanted to continue holding her, he had to check where Clifton was. Listening to the wind as a window slightly opened for him, his eyes widened.

"Jenna. Get dressed. Now!" he growled. "We have less than ten minutes!"

"What?" Jenna frowned.

"Clifton is on his way back with the blacksmith to talk to me," he muttered. They were dressed quickly, and the room was tidied up with her expert skills. She lay back in the bed, as he sat back in the chair. After a while, she got up to get the fire going again. It was here that Clifton walked in.

"Where's Jack?" he asked.

"Here," Jack smirked. "I thought you would look for me."

"There you are," McGreggor chuckled. "I was told about the storeroom. I will gladly help."

"Good. I quelled the raiders in the north. For now, at least," Jack grinned.

"Always a good thing," the burly man nodded.

"Raiders are not easy to convince," Clifton frowned.

"Easy to do when one of their own is set as an example for getting in my way," Jack said with a touch of rueful mischief. "Sometimes ice doesn't thaw very quickly..."

"Enough said," McGreggor said with a shake of his head.

"However, they may prove useful. I made a contract with them," he shrugged. "So, we may have neutral allies in the future."

"That's one way to see it," the blacksmith nodded. A round of ales were gotten, but Jack waved his mug off. He wasn't one to eat or drink. He did, however, chill the ales for the two men. This had them gaping at how much better it tasted.

"You should hire yourself out for doing this at local taverns," Clifton chuckled.

"That is a thought," Jack mused. "But...no. For all that, they could put their tankards alongside an open window. That does well enough."

"Until a thieving drunk learns how to steal in a quiet manner," McGreggor stated. Jack found himself grinning at that. "Anyways, I want to know about you. It's time."

"After the storeroom is built," he said.

"No. You said after I established myself. I have done that. I'll still help with the storeroom. This village clearly isn't done with my services yet."

"Very well," Jack said dryly. "What all has Clifton told you?"

"That you're the one that helped rid the area of wolves and protect the village," he said.

"Not very much, is it?" Jack grinned.

"I only told what I thought was safe in the open," Clifton muttered.

"Very wise," Jack nodded. "Well, Master McGreggor...you may know me as, oh...Father Winter. Of course, you can always call me Jack."

"You're the bringer of winter?!" the burly man gaped.

"Of course! How else would your wheels spin on ice?" Jack mused. "Of course, I don't really bring winter. I sort of, oh, help it along. I can appear in the other months. However, winter is where my powers are always at their peak. It's just harder to be around in the warmer months. Then again, if the place is always cold, that works, too."

"I never would have imagined," he sighed. "But...why protect this place?"

"Jenna owes me a debt. I saved her life. As for the debt, she is destined to give birth to a bride for me down the road. Could be tomorrow. Could be a hundred years from now. The moment the girl is born, I will whisk her away in what quiet solitude I'm able. Then I'll be done with your issues. Until I get bored again," Jack flashed a grin. "As it is, I need to get going. I have to check on the mess I caused to the northern raiders. Remind them of their place. Whatever suits my fancy."

"Right, right," McGreggor nodded. He wasn't going to get in the powerful being's way. When Jack left, he glared hard at his apprentice. "A debt?"

"Yes," Clifton sighed. "He has been helping us, though. Times would be tougher without him."

"Fine. Promise me something, then."

"Yes?"

"When this girl is born...and I have no doubt she would be born..." the man said. "If she comes to a time that she needs safety, bring her to me. I'd rather her be in my care than another's . I also know that Jack won't let her out of his sight. I'd rather he answer to me than force another to bend to his will. I can only shudder at what he did to the raiders! If he formed an alliance with them, then fine. But, I insist. I will care for the child, if something happens."

"I will definitely let Jack know when I see him again," his apprentice nodded. They rose up their chilled mugs and drank to it.


	8. Chapter 8

Jack was informed of this the next morning, and he was in full agreement. He knew McGreggor would easily keep the girl protected, if anything came to harm the village. The moment Clifton left for work to the blacksmith's building, Jack was there at the front door for Jenna to let him in. Both of the children were wide awake, but she had them preoccupied with play. Jack further helped with that by handing over a small, soft fur for them to lay on.

"I have to go into town later," she frowned. "I need to sell some furs."

"I'll watch over you," he nodded.

"The children may be taking a nap when I'm done."

"I'll be sure to hang around," he smiled. The next three hours went by smoothly. Jack was able to play as a mild babysitter for Jenna. It made selling the furs go by easier. She also felt safer with him watching them and listening to the wind to guard her. When she got back, she was surprised to find the kids playing with some ice diamonds that he tossed at them. When they went to grab one, it disappeared back into his hands. He was actually helping their skills along at being swifter for hunting. It also helped to keep their eyes keen and sharp for the sparkling gems.

"They were no trouble for you?" she asked, and she started to remove the heavy furs from her body. She was clearly starting to overheat, and Jack was quick to help her.

"No. It's easy to keep them amused with sparkly objects," he chuckled. "Feed them and I'll help you cool off. Okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. As her son ate and her daughter was nursed, Jack took up the mild duty of checking on the food stores. He usually despised such menial tasks, but Jenna was carrying the pregnancy that would encourage his talent to grow. He only had one real worry. He couldn't voice it. _Would her talent leave her and go to the child?_ He cringed at the thought that Jenna would no longer tolerate him.  _I'll always want to be with her, even if my talent left her._ He knew this.

He was already making plans of what to do with her body, if she passed on. He had created a cave deep in his ice mountains. He would store her body there. He wanted it to be protected.  _Shrined._ Something he could go to as a form of his own comfort. Any other daughters of hers that caught his heart would end up going to the same place. The only way he would even think of letting the bodies finally waste away would be when his bride was born.  _There was no other way around it._

"I'm a damned fool!" he snarled to himself. "But...she is mine. Her daughters are mine. I don't care what anyone else thinks. All of them that bear my talent are mine."

He was almost lost in his thoughts again when Jenna called for him at the window. He was now back at her side and hugging her close. Sighing with relief, she whispered, "The children are sleeping. You tired them out."

"Good," he smiled softly.

"And...I missed you..." she breathed. He shivered at the feel of her pressing closer to him. "How far away is my husband? Do you know?"

"Hmm..." he thought and let a window blow open briefly to get the information he needed. "He's in a meeting with McGreggor. Looks like it just started."

"The children are safe from the cold," she smiled.

"I'll leave the window open, then," he muttered and kissed her possessively. They were finally able to be together for a solid hour. Clifton was still at the smithy, and the children were still asleep. As they rested on a floor rug of fur, Jack finally admitted what he planned to do with her body.

"Are you serious?" she smiled.

"I am," he sighed. "I don't want to think of your body being desecrated. Even if it isn't moving. I would much rather keep it whole until the time is fitting. I feel that it's...important to me. That's all."

"I see," she said. She snuggled into his body a bit more, and he squeezed her.

"There is one other fear I do have," he admitted.

"Oh?" she frowned.

"If...this baby is birthed...would you feel cold...?" he said, and he pursed his lips together.

"Even if I was, I wouldn't want you to leave," she said.

"I wouldn't leave," he vowed. "Even if the child is moved around. I'd always return to you."

"Would you, Jack?"

"I would. You are the first to touch me in this way. I will only show any warmth to you. It will depend with any daughters. But...any that become as close to me as you have...will get special treatment. There might be a few down the line."

"I would hope so," she smiled.

"I know so," he chuckled and checked the wind. "Still in a meeting..."

"Can you tell about what?"

"Hmm..." he focused a bit more. "They are having problems collecting a variety of ores needed for smithing with. I may be required to help with that."

"How much do you think you can get?"

"Quite a bit. There are a few places untouched that I can go to. Ice can easily crack the stone needed. As much as I detest manual labor, I'll do what I can to safeguard you."

"Must you go through so much trouble?" she frowned.

"If it's to protect a possible daughter for me, I would shift the whole world around," he said in a rather stern tone. "But, I'm not leaving until his meeting is over."

"Good," she smiled and cuddled into his cold form. She clearly needed him close, and he knew this. The more time he spent with her, the stronger the power in the child would likely become.  _Even if it was a fraction more, it was worth it._ He could even feel some of his chilling touch sink into her. He didn't want to wait for a very long time, if he could help it. Something told him that it was going to take time, though.  _Such a powerful talent had to mature properly with several lifetimes._

He continued to recline on the fur rug with her. He had a form of contentment now.  _This was how it should have been. How it should be._ It actually gave him an idea of what to make for a possible bedroom.  _I could collect various artifacts through the ages. Items that would become lost and priceless to replace._  He was already planning on snatching up the bone flute that belonged to Jenna's father. Then he thought and looked at her. "Jenna, I want to ask you something."

"Hmm?" she smiled.

"Would you mind...if I kept the bone flute from your father? To keep safe for your descendants?" he asked in a rather gentle way.

"Yes. Do that for me. I don't want it lost or destroyed," she nodded.

"I'll encase it in solid ice. It will never vanish," he nodded back.

"I'll get it for you later," she said and rested against him.

"Much later," he grinned softly. At the sudden cry of a baby, he winced.

"I'll tend to her," she sighed.

"Better dress, too. If Clifton doesn't return, we'll continue," he shrugged. It wasn't going to continue when the sounds of her son woke next from the squealing of his sister. He sighed now, but he made no plans to leave. He settled in a chair and watched the house for the rest of the day with her.


	9. Chapter 9

For the next nine months he remained at Jenna's beck and call. The moment she was alone, he was right there. She clearly needed him in the later months when the overheating got even worse. The cold room was a lifeline to her. But, on the day she was ready to give birth, Jack noticed that something was off about her. He didn't like it.

"Jack?" she whispered, as he knelt to her side.

"Look at me," he urged. She nodded and gazed at him. Now he grimaced.  _Her eyes were losing the blue hue to them._  As he thought, most of her chilling talent was going directly to the child. "Jenna. I need you tell me if you feel cold. Okay? You may start to."

"No..." she whimpered. "You'll...still stay with me?"

"Yes. Don't worry," he smiled softly. "Like I said before. I will take care of you if anything happens to you. No matter how cold you get. I will care for you."

She nodded and cried out at the feel of another contraction. He stood up, as Clifton walked into the hut. The two children were in their beds and told to keep calm. They knew that another baby was coming. Jack nodded to the man and stood aside to watch the midwife appear to help. He kept his arms crossed, as Jenna labored with her breathing. At a final push, the shrill cries of a baby filled the room.

"A girl! With...eyes of ice...?" the midwife gasped.

"Let me see," Jack muttered. The woman gave the newborn to Jenna and was forced back. When Jack glared at the woman, she left. Now he studied the newborn with a light sigh.  _The blue in the baby girl's eyes was slightly more intense._  When he looked at Jenna, he pursed his lips together.  _Her eyes were nearly brown. They still held some blue, but it wasn't as much as before._ Sighing a bit harder, he whispered to her, "Do you feel cold?"

"I..." she shivered and trembled. He knew she did. She didn't want to confirm his thoughts.

"It's okay," he muttered softly in her ear. "Clifton. This is the girl."

"Is it?" Clifton frowned. On seeing the eyes of the baby, he grimaced. "Fine."

"I won't take her away. All I will do is follow her through her life. I will protect her with everything I have. And don't worry about Jenna. I will still assist her, too, if she needs it. I vowed to help her. I keep to my vow," Jack said lightly.

"I can understand that. What will you do now?" Clifton asked.

"I'll check on the food stores. She will need some heavy meat to help her recover. I'll take care of that. I'll also drop in on the smithy. I need to check on his supplies, too. Something's brewing a hundred miles out in the east. I've been keeping track of it. Anyways, I'll be back later," Jack said lightly. Jenna nodded to him, as she nursed the special newborn. Jack sped out the door and was in front of the smithy door in seconds. On walking in, he asked, "Is anyone here?"

"Yes! What can I do for...oh. It's you. What is it?" Master McGreggor said.

"Jenna gave birth to the girl I will follow."

"Did she?! I'll stop by the hut later."

"I'm sure you would. Also, how are your supplies?"

"I'm good for now."

"Good. I'll make sure you get more. Something is coming at us from the east. It's slow, but it may be a problem. You need to fortify this village. Fast."

"What threat?"

"Raiders. Not the ones I forcefully allied with, of course. However, I'll be paying them a visit soon, too. They will want to safeguard their village. If they come through here, you may be selling wares. Quite a few wares. So, I'll get you more supplies. You just need rough ores?" Jack asked.

"Yes. The rough ones work best to refine better. Easier to melt and blend into harder metals. You have an idea of where to look?" the man asked with an intriguing raise of his brow.

"I always know where to look," Jack chuckled. "Just be glad that I'm helping you and not making the forge cold!"

"Do you have any idea how hard it would be to build the heat back up?!" the master scowled, and Jack started laughing. "Give the raiders your pranks! I beg of you!"

"Don't worry," he grinned wickedly. "With what I have planned for them...all will be well. For us, at least. I'm going to head north now."

"I'll check on my apprentice," the Master muttered. Jack bowed and vanished away to leave a trail of cold mist behind him. "Blow out my forge! Bah! It would take me a good hour to get it back!"

Jack was only giggling with amusement, as he sought out the barbaric raiders in question. On finding the small camp, he landed with an explosion of ice and snow to purposely kill their fire. As if on cue, several of the men appeared to be ready to fight. Then they saw him and stopped dead in their tracks.

"What in the blazes...oh..." their leader said with a small wince. "It's you."

"Yes. Me. I have a warning for you. I need your help," Jack muttered lightly. "Your village may also be in danger, if you don't assist. It's more raiders, but this time from the east. A hundred miles out. I hope you understand."

"Finally! Some action!" a man shouted. Others were already making claims on spoils.

"And the towns you protect?" the leader asked.

"The one in the very south is the one I am personally defending. The raiders are in the same southern area. If these raiders get within a half mile of it, you'll lose what gold and armor they carry. As well as the fresh horses they bring," Jack smirked. "To the winner goes the spoils, as they say..."

"That they do!" the leader growled. He clearly wanted to be the winner. He would ensure the raiding party didn't get to their goal. "We need better weapons."

"I know. There is a Master Smithy there. Master McGreggor. He has a shop set up in the far southernmost village on the edge of it. Be neutral, and he'll sell to you. Any other attitude...I'll kill you before he can lop off your head," Jack warned. "If you need furs, the town can also provide."

"Good to know," the leader nodded. Many of their furs were old and stiff from use. Others were ragged and falling apart. "How long do we have?"

"One month. Leave now and you can reach the town within a week. Do note. A massive set of ice mountains block the path. They are my mountains. If you move through them...travel carefully. Understood?" Jack said. "If you don't, many will die of frost and broken necks..."

"What of our animals?" another man asked.

"Single file line only," Jack advised. "You could go around the ice mountains, but you'll be looking at another week in a wild forest. Tread carefully."

"That we will," the leader nodded. Jack smirked and vanished away easily. Next on his list of things to do was ore supplies. He seemed to hover on the wind, as he gleaned information from the very wind that aided him. Turning north, he sped off towards some mountainous slopes. On landing, he magnified the ice to force the mountain wall to split. Once the vein of ore was revealed, he used more ice to break off the massive chunk of rock. The real problem he had was transporting it. He was able to force the ice into the veins of the rock to make a type of chiseling effect. The whole piece crumbled down for easier transport. He made the bits into the form of hail, and the wind was able to pick up the pieces easily. It was quite a bit of power that he was using. He was going to have to rest afterwards.

"The things I do for Jenna..." he sighed. He focused again on what he had to do. The small lumps of ice-coated ore was now transported all the way south to the smithy. He was moving so fast that many thought they saw a meteor shower from how the light was reflecting off of the icy ore bits. When he landed, he had to focus for the ore to land in spots somewhat close to the smithy. He didn't want any falling pieces to hit the village. He also knew that he wasn't going to spend the time to gather up the pieces. He sped back to Jenna's hut and walked in.

"Jack?" Jenna frowned in the bed. She saw how drained he looked.

"I brought ore. It's around the smith shop. They'll need to gather it up. I did my part. Where are the others?" Jack asked, as he managed to sit down.

"They just left for the smithy," she said. Her newborn was sleeping comfortably, and she carefully set the small girl in the bed. She got up, but Jack was there to push her back down. At the feel of his cold touch, she gasped. Then she stared at him with shock. She felt the cold for the first time in her life. Now she was shaking with disbelief, and he was quick to grab a fur to wrap her with. Even through the fur, she still felt his chill.

"I'm...sorry, Jenna..." he winced.

"It's not intense," she admitted. "It's just...the first time I've ever felt cold..."

"I know," he muttered with a nod. "I'll have to keep my distance."

"No."

"Why?"

"I'll wear more furs. Don't stay away from me. I don't care if I feel cold."

"I won't leave your life."

"I know. I just...don't want you to keep your distance."

"How cold do you feel?"

"Not that cold," she murmured and pulled him close to kiss him. There was just enough cold immunity within her to withstand his kiss. That was more than enough for him. When the newborn cried, Jenna swallowed and nodded at the small push from him to tend to the girl.

"I need to fetch some meat for you. When your husband returns, tell him of the ore around the smithy. He needs to collect it. I did my part by bringing it," Jack said.

"I will," she nodded, as she nursed the hungry baby. He nodded and left quickly to fill the cold storage shed with as much meat as it could hold. He knew it was needed for the next week to come.


	10. Chapter 10

The northern raiders had managed to work their way south. They were able to just barely make it through the ice mountains, and, if they had to go back that way, they knew it would be rough. It was possible that they could go around the terrain, but it would take much longer. They would do what they could. When they finally reached the village, many of the villagers were hiding in their houses. They all knew what raiders looked like.

"Where is the smithy?!" the lead raider hissed at an older lady.

"Just...down the road..." she trembled. He smirked and spat at her feet before turning the way they went. When several of the men looked at her with a gleam in their eyes, they were stopped by the warning chill. They had forgotten that Jack protected this village. If they did any wrong, he'd kill them without warning. It was the middle of winter, as it was. He was at his peak of power here.

"Look sharp, lads!" the leader snarled. "Don't act like a drunken idiot! Let's get the weapons and remove the threat so we can go home!"

When they moved to the smithy, Jack was staring out a window while listening to the wind. Jenna was rocking her newborn. Her other two children were playing with a new fur.

"They're in the village," Jack muttered.

"Will you see them?" she asked.

"Not yet. They know what will happen, if they misbehave. McGreggor will knock some sense into them. Clifton is there, too. He has the weapons and armors ready for them the moment they arrive."

"As you say, Jack," she smiled. He glanced over at her with a nod and listened to the wind again. He could easily hear the smithy door opening rather noisily through the wind. The conversation he heard next had him grinning from ear to ear.

"Knock on the door next time!" the master scowled. "And shut it before you put out my forge!"

The lead raider nudged a man to do just that. Then he looked over at the master smith and said, "You know why we came. The man of frozen death told us to kill another group."

"Aye. I know all that," he nodded. "I am Master McGreggor. My apprentice has what you need. If you manage to take care of the threat, you won't have to worry about the coin. I'll consider it paid off."

"Can we keep it, too?" a raider asked.

"As long as it isn't used against me or any innocents," the smith warned. "I'm sure my reputation precedes itself. It's easy for me to curse my wares."

"We know," another man shivered. Clifton simply chuckled in the back room.  _It was all superstition, but it worked against this lot._  He hefted up the massive stack of swords, axes, and maces to bring over. Setting them down on the ground to be sorted through, the armor was next.

"Take your pick. See what works best. If you need something fixed, give it over to my apprentice. Then you need to see to the threat. As agreed," McGreggor nodded. Weapons were chosen and armor was fitted. A few blunt swords and dented shields were given over to be repaired masterfully. When they left, the smith looked at his apprentice. "I don't trust them."

"Jack has them under control," Clifton said. He gathered up the left over weapons and armor.

"I still don't trust them."

"We'll see how well they handle the enemy. It's all we can do."

"I don't think they'll live. I've heard of this enemy party. They'll outnumber them."

"That's where I will give them the edge they need," Jack said, as he walked in. "I can help them fight through the storm of winter. Any that irk me will die."

"Why couldn't you just take care of them?" Clifton frowned.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jack grinned. "Besides, the best way to train others is by letting them do things themselves. It's like teaching an animal a new trick."

"Shut it!" the smith warned.

"But it's true!" Jack grinned wickedly. "Anyways, I'll go and busy myself with the approaching raiders. I might be able to slow them down. Hopefully."

"Hopefully you can," Clifton nodded. When Jack vanished away, McGreggor glanced at Clifton. "Yes, Sir? Something the matter?"

"You have enough meat stored up?"

"Yes. Jack helped with that."

"Good. Go grab a large haunch of something that we can cook up in here."

"Of course," Clifton nodded and left. Now that he was alone in the shop, McGreggor went to his forge. He pulled down a sturdy oak handle that he could easily fit both of his hands around. Setting it aside, he started to smelt down some ore to start crafting a sword. Then he thought and changed his mind into a double-bladed battle axe. Something told him that he was going to need it, and he needed to forge it now. His mind changed thoughts to Jenna and the child. He knew that Jack wasn't going to want them separated, if he could help it. The only way the smith could safely protect the child was if the mother died. He had no plans to see that happening.

 _Jenna is a good woman. She's one of the last of her type with a pure soul and a fierce sense of judgment. She didn't ask to be given the fate that her cards gave her. She had a lot of life left in her. She'd fight to the death._ On thinking now, he knew what he had to do.

"I'll train her to fight," he mused and started on a set of bow and arrows. "I'll train her how to defend herself. A good year or two should work. Then I may be done."

He also knew that, if anything happened, he would be contacted first.  _I did offer to protect the special child. I'm fairly sure that my offer would not be refused._ Nodding to himself, he went back to work. As it was now peaceful in the smithy, it was the opposite in the field of snow twenty miles east of the village. Jack stood in the center of the field and thought.  _It was time to set a trap._

He held aloft his staff of wood and ice with a purpose. Then he took in a deep breath and blew over the top of it. Sparks of blue flames landed on the ground and sunk down through the snow to the hard ground below. From where they sank down, spires of ice erupted. He walked around each one calmly while jagged pieces began to stick out to impale any that got too close. Tilting his head slightly, he kicked at the loose snow in front of him. Now the wind picked it up to carry it around and blanket the deadly spires with a thick sheen of powdery mist.

"Good. You're all here," Jack mused, as he turned to confront the stunned group of allied raiders. "Yes. I made you all a playground. Just be careful. If you get too close, you'll get killed, too."

"How will we be able to see them?" the leader asked.

"With these," Jack said, and he tossed over a pouch of ice diamonds. "Those will vanish after we are done here. Each of you carry one. If you lose it, I can't replace it. They may just end up back in that pouch, so you'll have to go to your leader to get it back. When the fight is over, they'll vanish. With the diamonds in your possession, you'll be able to see through the storm I made. As a test run, do you see the pillars? Just focus a little. If you can."

He smirked and stepped aside. The diamonds were passed around, and they all gaped with shock at the nasty pillars of ice. All they would have to do was ram the enemy into them. The leader looked at his men with a savage grin. They were ready. Now he looked at Jack and said, "How long to wait?"

"One hour. Set your positions now," Jack advised. "You may not get the chance to later."

"You heard him!" a man shouted. Jack was gone when they looked over, and they took that cue to set up their desired spots. Easy kills was something they would always want. Now it was just a matter of time to wait for their prey to show up. And claim the spoils.


	11. Chapter 11

The opposing raiding party had no clue what to expect. All that they knew was that they were on a hot trail to a new village to raid and conquer. They did not expect the sudden fog that came around them out of nowhere. When a man found one of the pillars, he didn't even have a chance to shout a warning when a rival raider ran in and jammed his head through a vicious spike.

A primal scream erupted from the opposing raiding party's leader as a cry for vengeance. The rival leader gave a cold smile, as he charged into the fray with his men. With the ice crystals used for their advantage, it was easy to make short work of them. Jack watched everything with a cold form of satisfaction. Then he glanced to the outer ring of his trap to find a man running off.  _It was not a man I allied with._  At the childish grin that he got to play, he swooped in for the kill.

"I don't think so," he snarled and knocked him down with a chilling blast of cold. "Why are you here? I'm sure I'll find out myself, but I want to know from your words."

"S-s-scouting..." the man shivered.

"For what?" Jack smirked.

"F-f-f-food..."

"And you couldn't simply ask for help?" he grimaced. At the pasty color the man started to turn, Jack then asked with soft, cruel hiss, "Are you cold?"

When the man stopped moving, Jack twitched a grin and smashed the frozen body to pieces. Stretching himself out, he now studied what the man wore. On noting the furs, he did pluck one small amulet from the frozen and shattered corpse.  _McGreggor may be able to tell where it came from._ At the sudden shout that the fight was done, Jack lifted the fog. He walked over to where the opposing leader was pinned to the ground. His shoulder was pierced all the way through from an icy spike.

"Heathens!" the man hissed. Then he screamed when Jack reached down and dug his thumb into the bleeding wound to squeeze it.

"Why are you here?" Jack asked with a sadistic giggle.

"You're Satan!" the man grunted.

"No. You can call me Jack," he grinned. "Jack Frost, that is. Father Winter. The same one that set up this little party for you. I didn't like how you were intruding into an area that I protected. I want to know...why? If you're truthful, maybe...just maybe! I'll let you live."

"Frost..." the man gaped. "You are...the devil...!"

"No. That's a complete different story you're weaving. If I was a devil, then where's my pitchfork? Where's my tail or horns? And I thought devils need heat. Not cold," Jack mused. "Anyways, stop changing the subject. Why did you bring your disgusting ilk here?"

"Where else was I to go?" the man winced. "Food was scarce. Trade is scarce. We needed to survive! What more is there for me to say?!"

"So...you don't have a village you belong to?" he asked.

"Why should I?!" the man scowled. Jack removed his hand from the now frozen limb. The man looked at what was his arm and gaped with complete fear.

"Take your men back to your village. I'll take care of this one," Jack muttered.

"My kill!" the raider leader spat. "I'll loot what I need to, too!"

"Done. Kill him now," Jack said and stepped back. The raider grinned wickedly and made short work. Then the body was looted. Jack was only too happy to have gotten the amulet from the man that tried to run. When they nodded that the work was done, the ice diamonds the men possessed vanished. Then the nasty pillars of ice crumbled to nothing. At the mild glare to the men, they knew it was time for them to leave. Nodding their thanks at letting them live, Jack snorted and let the wind carry him off.

He went straight to the smithy and walked in. Clifton was roasting a haunch of meat over the excess heat that the forge gave out. McGreggor looked over at the amulet that was dropped on the counter and walked over to it.

"What's that?" Clifton frowned.

"A trinket I found off of one of the opposing party before I smashed in the body," Jack smirked. "Do you know exactly where it came from and who made it?"

"Hmm," the Master Smith thought, as he picked up the small golden amulet. On studying it with a critical eye, he sighed. "I know who made this, but it wasn't me. A fellow colleague of mine in the eastern lands did this. He's as skilled as I am, but I haven't seen him in a few years. He crafts gems as well as I work with steel. I think his name was Master Dulfilo."

"Really?" Jack thought. "Maybe I should have him come here, too."

"If you can find him! He doesn't tend to the populace anymore," McGreggor grumbled.

"I found you. Didn't I?" Jack grinned. That had the Master Smith thinking.

"If you can find him, I can help him make a shop. With all the raids happening, maybe it's time he came out of hiding. Oh. Take this with you, if you choose to search," the man said and pulled out his small trademark symbol of a cast iron anvil made from steel. "He'll recognize that."

"That I will," Jack nodded and pocketed both amulets. "Who normally owns the amulets?"

"Apprentices. Wait. You mean to tell me that the man you killed had this on him?! Either it was stolen, or the man went bad!" McGreggor winced. "It had to have been stolen. Only way."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Jack agreed. "The man looked hardened before he froze over, but he looked nothing like a craftsman should. Anyways, I'll start my search for your possible counterpart."

"You do that," he nodded. Clifton was still tending to the meat when Jack left. Jenna's house was the next stop. He didn't even have to knock on the door when she opened it for him. He walked in with a small smile, and she hugged him tight.

"The kids are napping," she sighed.

"Good. I have to travel for a bit. The attackers are done. The other raiders have left. If anything happens, you call on me. I mean it," he said. She nodded, and he kissed her hard. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly, as he held her. A kiss was pressed to her temple, and he backed away.  _I need to try and find this person. The faster I do, the faster I can get back to her._

"I miss you, Jack," she winced. He smiled and gazed into her blue-tinged brown eyes.

"I know. I miss you, too," he admitted. He swallowed hard and refocused. "I'll see about bringing you back a gift of chocolate. Okay?"

"I would like that," she blushed.

"Eat some more elk. You need the meat," he said.

"It's...too cold for me to go out now..." she trembled with a frown. He looked at her with another hard swallow.  _Oh, how I hate that how she lost her immunity to feel such a thing!_ He quickly bolted out the door to grab a decent sized chunk of meat for her to bring back in. Setting it on a fur to thaw a bit, she nodded. Then he thought and had her bring him the spit. He skewered it neatly for her to keep her from having to touch a cold roast. Only after he saw she had it over the fire did he nod.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised. He let her pull him close to kiss with a wild form of passion that he clearly missed. Pushing her away, he was out the door. When she touched his tunic just before he vanished, he stiffened. This was his weakness with her. If she touched any part of him before he had to leave, he simply couldn't go. "Jenna. I have to go."

"Please, Jack..." she whimpered.

"You are not immune to me anymore!"

"I don't care!" she gasped through her tears.

"It would be risky!" he argued.

"I just...please..." she begged. He turned to face her and kissed her hard as though to calm her down. Making sure the furs were in place, he lifted her up to carry her to the bed. Only then did he stop himself with a gasp for control. Her hands were gripping onto his tunic to keep him close.

"Jenna," he said with a hard tremble. "I'll make a deal with you."

"No. No deals," she muttered and pulled him down to kiss with a wild abandon. He wanted to give in. He almost gave in. He fought for control and won.

"When I get back, Jenna," he whispered a chill breath in her ear. "We can...try when I get back."

"No," she growled and kissed him again. A low groan escaped him, but, once again, he was saved by the cry of a child in the other room. "No! Please!"

"When I get back," he vowed. "I...promise you..."

"You promise?" she swallowed. He nodded with a solemn look. Only then was she able to let go of his tunic. And only then did he press a desperate kiss on her mouth before bolting from the house. Now that he was safe in the folds of the wind, a part of him felt denied. Another part of him felt afraid. He didn't know what would happen if he was with her.  _It was possible that I might not be compatible, but would I hurt her?_  He simply didn't know. Even now, as he traveled the eastern winds, he was still quite worried. In the end, he pushed it aside.  _Such a thing will be something I'll work on in time. Right now, I have someone to find and recruit. The village needs my help._


	12. Chapter 12

The man he was looking for had become a bit of a hermit. Jack stopped over the closest town that last knew of him and gleaned what he could from local gossips. On learning that the man now dwelled in a natural cave high up in a mountain, it was easy to find him. He stood at the cave entrance with his back against a wall. The thin, elderly man was busy heating up a soup he prepared.

"You're wasting your time, you know?" Jack muttered. The man looked up and blinked.

"How did you find me?!" the elder demanded. His thinning hair was hidden away under a heavy fur cap. He was dressed in furs from head to toe to keep warm. Jack simply smirked and turned to look at him with an ice cold gaze.

"An old...acquaintance...of yours sent me to find you. Your skills as a jeweler are needed once more. As to how I found you, well...the town likes to talk. Word of mouth spreads faster than the wind, at times. It's a known fact," Jack said lightly. The wall was neatly covered with frost and rime when he pulled away from where he leaned. The elderly man was shaking.

"Are you death? Has my time finally come?" he whispered.

"No. You can call me Jack," he grinned back with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "Tell me, Master Dulfilo, do you remember one by the name of McGreggor? He's as much a Master as you now. I'm sure you know him."

"I haven't heard that name in years!" Dulfilo blinked.

"Your services are needed again. He is working in a village that I protect. You are needed to assist him in various trades. If you need help getting to him, I can assist in a limited way. Oh. Do you recognize this?" Jack asked, as he tossed over the small gold symbol.

"I do. I gave this to only my most accomplished apprentices," the man winced.

"I found it on a raider. I think your apprentice is dead," Jack said.

"I...I see..." he trembled. "I don't have very many..."

"The village I protect is filled with young men and women that are seeking an honest trade. And, if you don't believe that Master McGreggor is there, he told me to give you this," Jack muttered and tossed over the steel symbol with the anvil. Dulfilo's thin face paled. "How did such a successful man like yourself end up here? I thought you'd be in a better establishment."

"Greed got to my mind," the man admitted. "I thought to remove such things from my thoughts. It interfered with my work. I have mastered the removal of the sin, but I have not felt ready to leave for society. This was my act of cleansing. And...if McGreggor asked for me to assist...well...he helped me before in the past. I can consider this a return in favor. I don't have much of my old equipment, though."

"Good. Less to carry," Jack grinned. "It would take too long for you to walk. I can get you the equipment you need. First, we need to get you to the village. When you find a location, I'll set you up."

"Why is this village important?" Dulfilo asked.

"When you are established, you will be informed. If Master McGreggor decides to fill you in, that's up to him. Until then, I need to get you there. Pack up what you need to take with you. You have enough furs for this to be relatively simple. Good. Hide your face so your nose doesn't freeze. If you close your eyes, you won't even know what happens," Jack advised. "Traveling by wind isn't for the faint of heart. Especially at your age."

"Travel by what?" the elderly man blinked.

"It's the fastest way to get there! You'd be looking at two months of travel by land in this weather! You'll be fine. No more than ten minutes with the way I move. I'll even keep this cave safe for you. If you want," Jack grinned. "That's easy."

"If you could? I would want to come back here, if something happened," he agreed.

"Gather what you need and stand outside. I doubt you'll want to be inside," Jack nodded. Some small cooking utensils, a bedroll, and various other small artifacts were collected. Everything was bound up in the bedroll and strapped to Dulfilo's back. He followed Jack outside and gaped in shock when the ice and wood staff was breathed on. A solid wall of ice now sealed the cave fully.

"How do I get back in?!" the man asked with disbelief.

"When you're ready, it will crumble for you," Jack nodded. "Trust me. I know this."

"If you say so..." the man trembled.

"Now hide your face, and close your eyes. And keep them closed," Jack muttered. The man did just that. He felt Jack grab hold of him and felt an intense chill. About five minutes later, he woke up shivering in the heated smithy.

"You carried him?!" McGreggor gaped.

"You had oxen and other supplies. He didn't. He lost most of his equipment. I can see about finding them. Or stealing them. Whatever happens first. I'll do what I can. First thing's first. Thaw him out and find him a place to setup shop. Then I'll be able to see what I can bring him," Jack said. "Where is Clifton? Is he here?"

"No. He went to be with his family," McGreggor nodded. He went to help his old friend get warmed up and fed a decent meal. Jack left shortly after. When he got outside Jenna's hut, he paused.  _Jenna isn't here. Where did she go?_  He listened to what the wind brought back to him.

"Your mother went to sell some furs. She'll be back," Clifton was telling his oldest.

"I miss Mom!" the boy frowned.

"I know. Don't worry," Clifton chuckled. That had Jack narrow his eyes.  _Did she really go off into the town to sell furs?_  He focused to find her and paused in realization.  _She went into the woods._ Now that he was concerned for her safety, he sped off after her. When he approached her, he saw that she was actually waiting for him.

"I knew you would find me," she smiled.

"Why did you leave?!" he growled.

"When Clifton came home, I knew you wanted to be with me. I wanted to be with you, too."

"He'll catch on. How did you convince him to let you sell furs?"

"I told him I felt cooped up. He understood that. I did sell a few furs, so I didn't lie. I came here after that. I feel cold, but I don't, too. I wanted to come out here, because I met you first. Right here," she said softly. Jack muttered, and she had already pulled him close to kiss in a needy way.

"Your children need you," he growled.

"The children are with their father. They're fine," she growled back and kissed him again.

"You'll get cold..." he mumbled. He was still trying to fight her.

"I don't care," she whispered and kissed him with a fevered passion. He lost the battle he desperately tried to fight off. Furs were spread down on the chilly earth. A quick shift of his pants was done and a lift of her skirts was next. He made sure to only grip the furs, as her heat surrounded him at long last.  _He was so cold to me! So intensely cold!_ At the same time, she didn't care.  _He should have been my husband._  At his shout of completion, she felt the icy chill of his essence. It made her tremble all over, but she endured it.

"You're cold?" he whispered with a shaky breath. She just huddled into him without an answer. He sighed and hugged her through the furs she wore. "You felt nothing?"

"I felt your cold. But, it's like I said. I don't care," she swallowed and kissed him passionately. "We were together. I'm still alive. Everything's fine."

"For now," he muttered. "And...if a child happens?"

"We will see," she smiled and pressed another kiss to his mouth. "We have proved that we can be together. Time will tell what happens. Right?"

"If you have a child from me, then Clifton will not be so happy," he frowned.

"Like I said. We will see what happens," she said. He could only nod. He was able to separate from her carefully and help her stand. Clothing was fixed back to rights, and he thought.  _She did birth a daughter for me to follow. After this experiment, if something happened to Clifton, I know I'll protect Jenna and her children with everything I had. We'd have to be careful, though, if we planned to be together again. The oldest son was starting to grasp what was really going on. It was also why Jenna had to leave the hut. It was to avoid suspicion._

"Let's get you back to your children," he said.

"Okay," she smiled. Her insides felt numb. The sensation would likely linger through the night. His seed was so cold that her womb was completely chilled. Walking was easy, but sitting down was a bit rough. She would manage. That was because she loved him. She always did, and she always would. That would never change.


	13. Chapter 13

The next six years were prosperous to the village. Clifton's son was starting to learn the trade of blacksmithing at the age of nine. His daughter was fascinated with gem works. At the age of eight, it was a perfect time to start getting acquainted with various metals. The ice child at the age of seven was getting survival skills in freezing winter by Jack. Jenna continued to sell furs and keep track of the hut. The only odd thing was that there were no further children. Jack felt that it was because he was with her. She felt that it was because there was no more need for her to have children.

"I did this to you," Jack growled in her embrace on the frost covered forest floor. "That first time it was just you and I. I know I did this to you. I froze your womb."

"No," she whispered. "I don't think that's the case. I simply don't need to have anymore. I gave you the daughter you needed. I'm content to stop with them."

"Clifton finds it odd," Jack frowned.

"He finds plenty of things odd," she giggled. That got him to grin at her. He had made a small retreat deep in the forest to be with her in the heat of summer. He was thinking about a cabin, but a patch of ice was easier to move than a building. He even showed Clifton the area so that he knew where his daughter was going to be trained in secret. She needed to help the village in the severe winter storms. Jenna could no longer do such a thing, but she could still brave the cold for a time. Jack's constant presence was proof of that. He had to keep up with it. He didn't want her to lose it.

She had regained some of her immunity to him. It was enough for her to be near him again. It would never be as potent as before, but that was fine. Her daughter held a few of her looks, but had her father's burnished brown-red hair. As much as he hated it, he went with it. Jenna was truly the one for him. When she started to fatten a touch from the children, he had her start to jog through the forest as though to chase him. He even managed to supply her with leaner meats. That helped her keep her strength and shed the extra weight. She needed to keep fit to hold the immunity for him.

"Jenna," he whispered. "It will be time for you to go back soon."

"I know. I have enough forest mushrooms. They'll be decent for a few days. It hurts that you have to be away from me," she sighed. He squeezed her.

"I know. I do drop in when I can. Not only to see the girl," he smiled. "You know that it's mainly to see you. I do know that McGreggor is ready to hand the smithy to Clifton."

"And then he will leave. Or will he? He has taken a fancy to apprenticing Jarlin," she smiled. "As my oldest, he does have the promise to be like his father."

"Looks just like him, too," Jack snorted. "Same damned curiosity factor on where his mother goes, come to think of it."

"Jack," she smiled warmly at him. He kissed her softly and now moved to help her stand. He could only meet with her weekly this way. She had taken up mushroom gathering. The village grew fond of the mushrooms she found, and some of them had helpful oils to burn. She even harvested bees with Jack's help for their honey and wax. All he had to do was chill them to near frozen. It was easier to take the hive apart, too. They would leave just enough left for the bees to rebuild it.

When she took her daughter for small outings, he was there to guide them to collect what they needed, too. As ice cold as Jack was, her daughter's touch was always warm to her. That was part of the immunity from mother to child. She was cold to all but her mother. It would never fade.

On the way back, he checked a few traps and brought over any catches they had. It eased the stress on Clifton this way. He had enough with the smithy. New boys got brought in from all over the land. Even the raiders from the north sent a couple of their boys down. Any caught stealing were given a poke with a hot iron. It helped them learn really quickly that such a thing was not allowed.

It was a bit tougher with the jeweler, but Jack placed his own wards around the small shop. He even had a few of his ice diamonds set up for display in easy reach in fancy chains. Anyone that tried to steal them would get caught. He just had to trace where the gem was. Then they would find themselves suffering from mild frost bite. Even in the summer. That baffled the village healer. When they admitted that they stole from the shop, the jewelry became known as cursed if stolen. Any that stole would find themselves with frost-bitten fingers and toes. The tactic worked. This even went to the smithy, and McGreggor was giggling with his own fiendish delight.

"I should have met you sooner!" the smithy grinned at Jack.

"You have. You just never knew it!" Jack would tease back. As a prankster, he would always chill the oxen's ears a bit. He kept that little secret to himself.

"Do you have to leave?" Jenna asked when he hugged her.

"You know I must. I need to check on the surrounding territories. I'll bring you back something. You have my word," he chuckled. They kissed with a fiery passion that almost made him pull her back to the woods, but he forced himself to keep a clear head. He had to scout around the village. The moment he started to listen to the wind, he paused. Narrowing his eyes, he went to the smithy.

"Jack?" Clifton asked. McGreggor was teaching his son how sift through the coal.

"Wolves," Jack muttered. That was enough to be said.

"After all this time, they came back?!" the man scowled.

"When the food returns, so do they. You know this," Jack snorted.

"What's going on?" the Master Smith said, as he appeared.

"The wolves that plagued the village returned. I have to help hunt them down. If they stay through the winter, they'll drive off the food supply," Clifton said. "Best to get them now while it's warm instead of letting them have the cover of fog and snow."

"Save me some teeth. And their claws," McGreggor thought. "Actually, bring me the whole damned carcass. We'll eat and craft at the same time."

"Done," Jack smirked. "I'll see where they are."

"Good," Clifton said. "I'll work on metal traps. They'll work a bit more with the leather."

"Very well," he nodded and left. He traced the sounds to where a cave was, but it was currently abandoned for hunting. It was a good-sized pack of ten wolves that he could tell. He actually noticed that the cave was a den. On peering in with the sparkling light of his staff, he paused. Two cubs were on the dirt floor. One was stark white. The other was a solid black. He found that rather odd.  _The cubs were clearly weaned and playing._  On watching them further, he noticed they were brothers.  _That made it even better. The mother was out hunting with the others._ Thinking to himself, he chuckled.  _They were perfect for Jenna, if trained right. That would be easy to do._  Pulling out a fur, he grabbed the yelping pups and vanished. He went back to the smithy.

"Find them?" Clifton asked. Then he heard the yelping.

"Yes. And two gifts for Jenna," Jack grinned. He opened the fur to reveal the two pups. They bared their teeth, but also shook with a form of fear. They were too young to know how to defend themselves. After a little coaxing, Jack was able to run a fur over the back of the white one. It would take time to train them, but this would help.

"We should skin them!" he hissed.

"No. These can be trained to help her hunt. I can do that," Jack nodded. "At a young age, the pups will be fine. Granted, they will have wild instincts. But, it's not uncommon for pups to be taken and raised with a family. They become guards. Keep them well fed, and they'll be proper hunting partners. Trust me. They're two brothers, so no worries about breeding them out."

"I don't know," Clifton admitted.

"You'll see," Jack nodded. "Give it a week or two. I'll take them to Jenna."

"Only if I'm with you," he said. "Master! Jack brought me wolf cubs."

"Really? Lucky you!" McGreggor grinned. Clifton gaped at him.

"Told you so," Jack smirked.

"As pups, they'll do very well. I'll help train them," McGreggor nodded. "With Clifton running the smithy, I can help with this. Maybe have your son tag along to learn how, too. Wolf trainers are needed here and there. If he has some knowledge, then it would be good."

"I...suppose..." Clifton said. "I still want to be there when the pups are given."

"Then go! I'll keep Jarlin here," McGreggor nodded. Clifton nodded and watched Jack scoop the pups back up into the dense fur. He carried them quickly to the hut, but he waited. When Clifton appeared, he knocked on the door.

"Jack? Oh! What's this?" she blinked.

"A gift," Jack smiled.

"It's wolf pups," Clifton muttered. She looked at Jack like he was crazy.

"They can guard the hut," he said calmly. "I can train them. So can McGreggor. He said he would help with the training."

"Oh," she frowned. The black pup looked at her and howled. It was done in a cute way, though. It wasn't a fully developed howl yet. The white pup seemed to whimper. Jenna thought and started to cut up some fresh elk into tiny pieces. When this was set down for them, they pounced the plate to tear and rip at the flesh. After they ate, they curled up on the fur to sleep.

"Fully weaned," Clifton smiled. "All right. We'll give it a week."

"Good. I'll return daily to check on them, too," Jack nodded. Now Jenna realized why he really wanted to give her the pups. _It gave him another reason to see me. And Clifton was oblivious to it._

"That's fine. I have to go back to the smithy. I'll return by sundown. I have to make some new traps. Their parents and kin may try to hunt them down," Clifton muttered.

"I know," Jack nodded.  _When that pack returned to an empty den, they'll be searching everywhere. The village needed to prepare._  Clifton left shortly after to fix up his traps to be a better design. When Jenna watched the pups, he said, "Don't try to handle them for two days. Let them get used to your scent and just being here. I'll help prepare a place for them outside. It's warm enough. All you need to do is feed them and ensure they have water. After a week, you should start handling them."

"I can do that," she nodded. "Thank you."

"I do what I can," Jack nodded back. "You know I do."

"If they turn on me..." she shivered.

"You still have my essence. They will know not to," he whispered, as he moved behind her to rock her in the fur she wore. "You have my word."

"Okay," she smiled. He kissed her forehead and left to track down the wolves.


	14. Chapter 14

Another year passed by easily. The wolf pup brothers became the full guardians that they needed to be. They hunted for the family, protected the family, and always relaxed in Jenna's presence. They even seemed to relax in the ice daughter's presence, too. It was as though they knew that these two were a part of Jack. That they were special. All of the forest animals in the region knew who Jack was by now. It was luck that Jack found the two pups when he did. Fur traders had happened by the den less than an hour after he had found them. He saved their lives.

They were wary with the other family members, but they were tolerable. They did help hunt down rabbits and other animals easily to get them into Jack's range. They were, actually, his wolves now. He didn't plan on them to become imprinted to him, but it was inevitable. He decided to show that the two wolves were special.  _That they were protected._ He made a trip to the jeweler's shop.

"Uncle Jack!" Jenna's daughter waved. She was carefully sorting through some small gems that just arrived. He nodded to her and looked around.

"Hello, Marla. Is your Master in?" he asked casually.

"No. He had to go to the smithy for more metal," she said. "Can I help you?"

"I need two pendants made," he said with a smile. "With these."

"Oh!" she gasped at the two ice diamonds he placed on the counter. "For what?"

"The wolf brothers," he smiled. "I think it's time that they received proper collars to show that they are not fully wild. They do help me hunt, you know."

"Yes," she nodded. "What main collar base?"

"I was thinking a form of opposite color furs. Black for the white wolf and vice versa. It would help the collars stand out more. The gems in them could become reflective. If a hunter tries to attack them, they could shift for various lights to disorient the attacker."

"That would be a bit pretty for jewelry," she beamed.

"You could try the same thing with regular diamonds. You know that the diamonds I provide are very special," he reminded her. She found a small bag of the diamonds he provided, and he warned her of how special they were. She could only agree with him.

"Um...did you see Mother today?" she asked, as she took the gems to place in a small bag.

"I did. She was working with Kaitlin earlier today. They may need to get more mushrooms. It's a rather popular demand now," Jack nodded. "Did you plan to continue to apprentice elsewhere?"

"I could, but I want to help Mother. Maybe in another four years. Right now, I'm happy to be here," she beamed. He chuckled and gave her a small fur as a gift. She giggled with childish delight, as she took it to snuggle into. She would ensure that the gems were given to Master Dulfilo. He focused on where Jenna was and went to her. She had just carved up some rabbit meat to feed the wolves with.

"Jenna?" he asked, as he put his arms around her. "What are you doing?"

"Hmm? Oh. I was feeding the wolves," she chuckled. "How are you today?"

"Not too bad. Did you need more mushrooms?" he asked.

"I have a fairly good supply right now. Um...there was something I wanted to tell you, actually," she said. She was clearly quite nervous about it. He looked at her with a smile.

"I'm right here. What is it?"

"I haven't been with Clifton for a few weeks. He's been so busy with the smithy," she sighed. "Well...I think I'm getting the signs that I'm pregnant..."

"What...?" he blinked at her.

"I don't know for sure. It could be false. I just...keep finding myself going for more sweets. I always seemed to do that at the start of each one."

"You can't possibly..."

"If I throw up tomorrow morning, then I'll know for sure," she smiled.

"But...it would be mine and yours! I mean..." he winced.

"All of my children should have been yours, anyways," she said softly.

"Jenna...if you are pregnant...I mean...well..." he stammered.

"If I don't throw up tomorrow, then we will know it's false. I know my body, Jack. It's how I am. What are you so worried about?"

"My child with you...it could kill you..."

"We don't know that."

"All this time nothing happened. You birthed a female for me to follow. Yes, if we have a baby, I will do everything I can to protect it. It would just...sort of make no sense as to how..."

"Jack," she said with a stern touch. "What did I just say?"

"If you throw up, then you will know."

"That's right. Until then, I will play it off that I'm not. I had a couple odd cases with Clifton in the spring, too, remember?"

"That you did."

"So, don't worry. I'll be fine," she smiled. "I'm feeding the wolves now. I do need more rabbits, though. I may need a few more sheep. I need to slaughter a couple that are nearing their time. I have to kill them before their meat spoils."

"I'll see what I can do," he muttered and kissed her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him hold her. She knew he was very afraid now.  _I'm not supposed to be pregnant. But, that's if I get sick. For now, I will continue my normal routine._ She knew all too well that Jack would be watching her every move.  _He was going to play as the overprotective father. At least until the morning._

Even the wolves seemed to sense that something was going on, but they showed indecision. In the end, they seemed to take on Jack's approach. They kept a form of protective vigilance around her. It was what they tended to do, anyways. She didn't say anything to Clifton or the others. There was no need to announce anything. Jack would see how she was in the morning. As much as he wanted her to have his child, he knew it would be too good to be true.


	15. Chapter 15

She didn't throw up in the morning. It was a false alarm. Jack was relieved. He was also very upset. He was incredibly torn about the whole thing. Now it only showed that he could truly only be with a future generation. Jenna was doing everything that she could to make him feel better. Even as they comforted each other on the forest floor, his mind was in turmoil.

"Jack," she whispered. He trembled. "It's fine. You and I both worried. Don't stress yourself."

"It's hard not to," he admitted. "A good part of me hoped that it was possible."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm not sure how it will be. I already know that I'll be taking care of Kaitlin in finding her a decent husband. I'll be guarding over you, too. There is much that burdens my mind."

"Jack..." she frowned and rose up halfway from the fur-covered ground. He sat up and looked away from her with a hard sigh.

"I can't help it, Jenna. A part of me would die the moment you die," he winced. She rested a warm hand on his shoulder. "At least your daughters will survive."

"I know they will," she smiled. "You will protect them and guard them."

"If I want the future version of you, then I know I'll have no choice."

"Do you regret what you did to cause my condition?"

"Not anymore," he said. He lay back down on the furs and shivered when she pulled him close.

"Are you cold?" she grinned.

"That's my line," he grinned back and kissed her hungrily.  _She is my equal._  Even as he gripped the furs when the pleasure took over in full, he knew that only the bride meant for him would ever be his other equal. They rested for five minutes before separating to dress. He had made sure that she had two full baskets of mushrooms. The wolves were resting close by and rose up to stretch. Right after they dressed, he decided to pay a visit to the jeweler shop. He needed to check on the collars.

"What will you do?" she asked. He started to lead her back to the hut.

"I made the wolves something to show they are protected. I also think there's a large bull deer nearby. Last legs from the winter chill and all that. I'll fetch that for you to carve up. The antlers will be given to McGreggor for blade handles and ornaments."

"I wouldn't mind another soft pelt for the bed. Or more chocolate," she smiled.

"Hmm. What kind of pelt?" he smiled back.

"A rustic color with a velvety feel," she nodded. Thinking, he reached under the snow and pulled out the fur for her. He would only do such a thing for her. The smile she gave him had him smiling back. "Thank you, Jack. Some of the other furs I have are starting to feel their age."

"Not good. What of the white one I gave you? That one was special," he said.

"That one is fine," she said calmly. "That one never shows signs of use."

"Good. As for the rest, I'll inspect them and replace them, as needed. How's your funding?"

"You know that's good," she chuckled. He winked at her, and they found themselves at the hut. Before she could go past the gate, he stopped her.  _The door was cracked open. It was normally shut tight to keep the cold out._  He held up his hand and took out his staff.

"Something's wrong. Stay here," he warned. The two wolves snarled and got into protective mode for her. When Jack was alarmed, so were they. He focused and had the wind search the hut for him.  _The table was overturned. Furs were scattered. There was a struggle._ Now he checked the wind.  _Clifton was at the smithy with his son. Marla was safe at the jeweler's shop. Kaitlin was missing. I have to get her back. Now._

"What's going on?!" Jenna asked.

"Kaitlin was taken away by force. I'm getting her back!" Jack growled.

"Kaitlin?!" she gasped. At the look Jack gave her, she nodded.  _The wolves will protect me. Whoever took Kaitlin just signed a death warrant._ Jenna was ushered into the house, and Jack took to the air. He scouted the wind for her. She was easy to find. She bore his magic, and he honed in on it quickly. She was already five miles out from the village and tied on the back of a horse. She was bound up in such a way that she couldn't move if she tried, much less scream. Two men were leading the horse away from the village on foot when the land got too much for the horse to carry away three riders at once. The ground was soft, and they didn't want the animal to injure a leg.

"Why do we need the little runt?!" a kidnapper growled.

"Because she's ransom! That village is rich! The smithy and jeweler there are proof enough," the other kidnapper argued back. "This little slut will make us a fortune!"

"She'd make a fine trinket, too," the first man leered. Kaitlin had her eyes squeezed shut from the rank smell they gave off. When the first man tried to fondle a breast, she squirmed hard. That pissed off Jack to no end. _It was time to make an appearance._

"If she ever was a trinket, then she's one that's too good for either of you to touch!" Jack said with a seething hiss when he appeared in front of them. "A hole in a tree is even too good for you both!"

"Out of the way! There's nothin' for you here!" the second man scowled. Kaitlin kept her eyes closed, but she was calm now.  _Jack was here to help me._

"You are kidnapping my niece," Jack said carefully. Kaitlin was always told to play along with this.  _That it was important._  At this statement, the two men stuttered and paled that they were found out. "If you don't give her back to me right now, I will kill you both. Easily."

"Then we'll kill her!" the second man sneered and took out a carving knife. Right as he unsheathed it, Jack gave him a piercing glare that froze him in his movements. Then the man's dark brown eyes went to the glowing staff of wood and ice. The chill it gave off was now intensified.

"I dare you. Take out your weapon," Jack said calmly. "If you do, it is to only cut her free of the bindings you gave her. If you draw blood, I'll draw blood on you."

The air started to get colder. And colder. When it got even colder, the other two men started to feel the chill. Kaitlin felt nothing. She was lightly affected. Now the man couldn't even hold the knife from the shivering he was doing. As they started to lose feeling in their extremities, Jack walked over to Kaitlin and gently plucked her off the horse's back. When he removed the gag from her mouth, she frowned. She looked at the poor horse and back at her uncle.

"Can we take the horse? She's done no wrong," she whispered. He glanced down at her with a small smile and nodded. It was a pretty pinto horse filly with black and white marbling. She seemed rather dainty and of good lines, too.  _Likely stolen._  He shoved the men away from the poor horse and gave the reins to Kaitlin. Then he noticed the leather bindings, sighed, and touched them to freeze them. They broke off after that. "What do we do with them?"

"Meh. Leave them. They'll be dead soon enough," he smirked.

"Uncle Jack, why are people so stupid?" she asked, as they walked away. The filly was only too happy that the air started to get warmer, as they walked away from the area.

"Oh, I don't know. It's the ones that think they can get away with something when they can't. Especially if it involves something with me," he chuckled.

"They didn't know," she giggled.

"Nope! And, if they come back by chance, I'll get rid of them again."

"You'll protect Mother and the others?"

"You have my word," he nodded.

"Um...I noticed," she started softly. "you and Mother..."

"Hmm?"

"You're both close. Right?"

"I saved her life. She owes me a debt. She has also become someone...that I hold very dearly to my heart. I helped her find your father. And...I'll tell you a big secret."

"Okay," she smiled.

"But, you can't tell anyone!" he warned. "Not even your mother that I told you. And you can't be mad at me. Do you swear?"

"I promise," she nodded.

"All right. While she was pregnant with you, I was also with her to help make you," he said softly. "In time, when you have a husband, I may have to do the same thing with you to have a special girl like yourself made. It may not happen at all. It may only happen once or twice. But, that's why you're so special. You are a part of me."

"I..." she paused in shock. Now she looked at him with a touch of horror.

"You wanted to know," he said lightly with a stern tone. "You promised that you wouldn't get mad. In time, you will bear a daughter that will need to be with me. It is inevitable. There isn't anything you can do about it."

"But...why...?" she asked, as she started to tear up.

"Because it's needed," he said softly and wrapped a fur around her. "Yes. It hurts. The truth always hurts. Is there more to know? Yes, there is. But, I will be the one to tell you about it. In time, you will learn everything. Just do as I tell you. I will protect you. I will protect your family. I owe them that much. You are still a child. You have a lot of growing up to do. As you grow up, I will find you a worthy husband. Do you understand?"

"But...Uncle Jack..." she swallowed. "I just...want to know one thing..."

"Okay. I will answer it, if I can," he nodded.

"Would you...love me...as much as you do Mother?" she asked softly.

"Hmm," he thought. "When the time comes for us to create the special daughter of yours, I shall do what I can to let you feel loved. While your mother truly has my heart, I will share it with you when the time comes. It is the most that I can do. I will care for you. I will protect you. I will ensure that you have the best that life has to offer you. You can't let anything else blossom for me. I can't be there all the time. I can't give you various things that you need. I can't even touch you right now."

"Right now?"

"Yes. When the time is ready for us, only then will that happen. It may be brief. It may linger a long time. But, I will be unable to touch you, or be with you, after that. It's why you need a worthy husband. Don't worry. I won't choose just anyone! You may need to have a couple children first before I can be with you. I will know when the time to take your side will come. Until then, you need to stay safe and learn what you can. I'll teach you about wilderness survival. Just trust in me."

"Yes, Uncle Jack," she smiled softly. He squeezed her shoulder gently and led her back to the hut. The horse was led into the cozy stable with a flock of sheep to help warm her. McGreggor was made aware of the horse and offered to teach Kaitlin how to care for her. Jenna was overjoyed that her daughter was home safe. Clifton was told to leave the shop with Jarlin to spend the rest of the day with his family. Even Marla was sent home at the news of what happened, and she had the new collars for the wolves with her to fasten to their necks snugly.

When everyone was there, Jack presented them with the large bull deer he sensed from earlier that was about to pass on. It was a massive animal, and the meat was desperately needed. Not only for them, but for the whole village. Hunting had turned up short, and supply wagons were late. Jenna was able to convince Jack to help them supply the village with emergency food rations, but just this once.

"Don't expect this all the time," he muttered to her.

"You know I would never ask unless the need was urgent," she smiled softly. He sighed at her and nodded.  _She never asked for my help unless there truly was no other option._

"Thank you for not abusing my aid," he smirked.

"Gives you a reason to stick around," she chided back. He gave a mild glare at her and shook his head with a soft laugh. Kaitlin actually found herself blushing at them. A part of her did wish that Jack was her father. In a way, he sort of was, but it was only to give her the cold immunity she needed.  _And he would end up being with me to make it stronger for another daughter._

A part of her was excited, but another part felt a touch of disgust.  _Was I related to him?_ She guessed it wouldn't matter in the end. She knew he always got what he wanted.  _Maybe the time would come to test him. To see exactly how badly it would get for him to have to be with me. It can be my own secret bit of curiosity, and it can give me a reason to let him do what he needed to do._ Keeping that thought to herself, she went back to her chores.


	16. Chapter 16

Nine quiet and fruitful years had passed. Kaitlin had blossomed into a rather beautiful young girl. Jack was pleased. He now knew that any girl that was meant for him was going to have a form of beauty around them. Jenna did seem to lack it, but that didn't matter to him. She would always be his first love. However, he knew it was time for Kaitlin to gain a husband.  _It was time to talk to her at length._

He waited until she went to pick mushrooms. When he appeared, she looked over with a warm smile. Nodding back, he gestured that he wished to speak with her. "How are you today, Kaitlin?"

"Oh! I'm well, Uncle Jack," she smiled. "What's up?"

"I'm going to find you a husband."

She froze up. She was not expecting this news. Swallowing hard, she asked, "Why's that?"

"Because it's time," he said bluntly. "I won't have you go to just anyone, either. I will choose one that suits my tastes for you. I will bring him here to introduce him to you. If you decide that you don't like him, then he simply goes back to where he came from. It's what I did for your mother."

"Then I'll make sure that I dislike all that you bring me!" she muttered.

"And I'll simply keep bringing them to you," he smirked. She glared at him, but found herself lowering her face at his icy glare. "I told you about this. You were warned. Don't underestimate me. You saw what I can do when I get pissed off. Don't make me livid. Understood?"

"Yes, Uncle Jack," she said with a harder swallow.

"I have an idea of what sort of man interests you. Don't think that I haven't been watching your wandering gaze," he grinned lightly. She blinked at him with shock. "Continue picking mushrooms. I'll be back soon. Possibly with a guest."

"Very well, Uncle Jack," she said in a dutiful tone. He ignored it.  _She always gave that answer when she was forced to do something she didn't like._  As much as he was annoyed by it, he didn't let it affect him. Once he vanished, she trembled and her knuckles went white around the basket handle.  _How can I focus on picking mushrooms now?_ She decided to head back to the hut.

"Hey, Kaitlin!" her brother said. Jarlin had grown into a rather handsome lad with an impressive build from his smithing apprenticeship. When he saw her troubled look, he narrowed his eyes.

"Uncle Jack...is finding me a husband..." she shivered.

"Oh," he winced. "He believes that it's time?"

"Why else would he do such a thing?" she frowned. He hugged her and sighed.

"We all know how Uncle Jack is. If something needs to go his way, he'll make sure it happens. There is nothing more to say about it," he shrugged. "I'm sure he'll find someone who will treat you right. And I'm only saying this because, if the guy is cruel to you, I'll give him what-for, myself!"

"Jarlin," she giggled. He protected his baby sister fiercely. As he gave his sister the brotherly support she needed, Jack was scouring villages. The wind took him to the Far East, surprisingly enough. He was expecting it to be closer. _This also meant a new language and culture. It could also mean that the one I'm looking for was traveling the world._  It was not uncommon for trade ships to flourish.

He landed in a small fishing village on a remote beach. The weather was warmer here, but his winter chill was already spreading frost and rime over the ground. Taking out his staff, he blew a soft breath over it. The piercing wind that appeared was quick to do his bidding. As the villagers began to holler over the unexplainable breeze that burst through their homes, the young man he sought out ran out of his hut near the village center.

He had a shock of black hair and narrowed brown-black eyes. His build was lean, toned, and built for stamina. Kaitlin had seen a few traveling men like this, and she was quite taken by them. Jack definitely knew what she liked to see. As the man muttered and swore in his native tongue, Jack approached him calmly. Breathing on his staff again, he knew that any language was now able to be spoken freely and understood just as easily.

"Hello," Jack said with a light nod. "I need to speak with you."

"For what?" the young man asked, as he stood up. A thick fog had already swirled around them to obscure them. The villagers would see it as the usual morning fog on the beach.

"I was curious. Have you found a wife yet?" Jack asked with a touch of amusement.

"What? What sort of game is this?!" the man growled. "I have no time for games! Or for a life partner! I have to fish, or I'll miss the morning catch! I need to go! I am too busy!"

"Not yet," Jack muttered. The chill tone in his voice made the man suddenly freeze up. Now Jack's appearance was taken in full. When the man's jaw dropped, Jack smirked and started to walk around him. "I have chosen you to marry my niece. You will provide for her. You will not harm her. You will be there for her at all times. Since I have picked you, you will abide by my rules."

"You must be mad!" the man winced. "What are you?!"

"Father Winter. The bringer of ice and snow. All rumors, but it is what I'm known as," Jack muttered lightly. "But...you can call me Jack."

"You are the god of snow and ice?!" the man gaped.

"If that is what you refer to me as, then...yes. I am immortal, anyways. I could be a god. I didn't think of it that way before," Jack mused. "That may be easier to explain to others."

"And you have...picked me...to wed your niece?" the man asked carefully.

"I have. And your name is..." Jack paused to listen to the wind. "Loo Chon?"

"Ah..." the man was gaping now.

"My niece is one of the Westerners, though. Her mother is one that I personally protect."

"And...the one I am to marry? You do not protect her, either?" Loo Chon frowned.

"I protect her, as I need to. I have a...complicated situation. I will explain it to you, but only if you agree to marry my niece. And...if you threaten her with harm in  _any_  way, I will kill you," Jack said with a nasty, icy edge in his voice.

"You have my word of honor!" the man hissed with his own rage. "I would never do such a thing! To even think of it..."

"Very well," Jack nodded. "Oh. You will speak a different language to her. Keep this on you at all times. Wear it around your neck. As a ring on your finger. Whatever you wish. If you lose it, you will lose your ability to speak with her."

"Of course," Loo Chon nodded. An ice diamond was given over, and he marveled at the unusual gem.  _It was like ice, but it wasn't!_ Now he listened intently, as Jack explained the age-old deed that needed to be done. As much as the man despised the fact that he was being used to help Jack gain a favorable bride, he was also intrigued.  _I am helping a god achieve a form of greatness._ That was an honorable cause to him. He would do whatever he could.

"Now that you know," Jack said calmly. "do you have any family here?"

"Not much," he admitted. "But, I can tell them that the 'call' has come to me to travel and expand my being. Many that feel this may never return. This is my 'call'. They will understand. I will need until sunset to be prepared for travel."

"I will help you travel. Worry not. Just bring what you think you need," Jack nodded.

"I will be ready at sunset," he nodded back. Watching Loo Chon leave the mist easily with the power of the ice gem, he chuckled. He actually liked this one. The idea of referring to himself as a god was very favorable to him. He would use that as a trump card for nonbelievers.


	17. Chapter 17

Kaitlin was not expecting anything when she went out to the forest. Jack had convinced Loo Chon to become a touch lost and for her to find him. She wasn't suspecting anything at all. She had the wolves with her, though. Jack was watching over Jenna, so it was fine. He was monitoring everything through the wind.

"There they are!" Kaitlin chuckled at the sight of the large Hen of the Woods mushrooms and put them in her basket. When the white wolf growled, she looked up with alarm. It wasn't a protective sound, though. _It was a sound to tell me that someone was in trouble._ "Show me where?"

The black wolf snorted and started to lead her. She was able to follow in a careful way. It was still springtime, so the weather was much warmer.  _At least whoever was lost wouldn't be freezing!_ While she was looking for whoever was lost, Loo Chon had actually gotten himself in a bit of trouble. He was used to flat land with sparse grass that was suitable for fishing. Trees, bushes, rocks, and fallen logs were new things to him. It was just his luck that he had slipped on some moss and injured his ankle.

"How can anyone live here?!" he scowled. The ice diamond he kept in his pocket allowed him to speak the language around him. "Damn! Not broken, but badly sprained. This is bad."

"Are you all right?" Kaitlin asked when she found him. When their eyes met, his jaw dropped. Now he knew she was related to a god. Her beauty was simply stunning to him. She was quite taken by him, too, but she always liked men with his figure.

"Um...I hurt myself..." he said.

"Oh! You can speak to me?" she said with surprise. "I didn't think you could."

"Ah..." he winced. "Your, um...uncle...he brought me here. I will not lie to you."

"Uncle Jack?!" she gasped. "He brought you?!"

"Yes," he said with a small smile. "I did hurt myself. I'm not used to this land. My ankle feels swollen. I tripped, you see."

"Well," she frowned. The two wolves were already sitting next to him in a docile way. They weren't going to leave him behind. With a sigh of defeat, she said, "Okay. Can you try to stand?"

"Help me?" he winced. She was able to help him stand and hobble slowly back to the hut. Jack already had a chair and a foot stool ready for him. Jenna had some warm broth and a cup of herbal tea for the pain. Loo Chon was a bit surprised, but he also remembered that he was brought here for the girl.  _I was expected and received as a guest._

"What do you do for a line of work?" Jenna asked after she sat down.

"Huh? Oh! I fish," Loo Chon nodded. The tea was already dulling the pain in his ankle.

"Really? It would be nice to get some fresh fish now and then," she mused. "There aren't any rivers that are too close, though."

"He'd have to go more to the west," Jack thought. "if he still wants to do that as his trade."

When Jenna offered the young man some stew, he blinked at it. He had never seen food like this before. When he saw how Kaitlin started to eat her portion, he tried some. He was actually quite pleased with the flavors. He was used to rice and dried fish. On watching him eat, Jack figured he could bring him some local cuisine for him on occasion.  _It could be done._

"Uncle Jack," Kaitlin said after she ate. "He said that you brought him here."

"Yes. He is to be your husband," Jack nodded calmly. "He is the one I chose for you."

"I don't want him here," she said with a frown. Now Loo Chon looked at her with surprise.

"I know you don't. But, does he want to leave?" Jack asked with a small smile. "I think he's fallen in love with you already."

"What?!" she asked and stood up with alarm. On looking at Loo Chon, he was looking at the floor. He knew the powerful deity spoke the truth.

"I would honored to be your husband, if you would have me," Loo Chon said softly. "I know that...such a thing would not be accepted right away. I can live close by, and we can get to know each other naturally. If that is what you wish. Ah, oh! You can call me Loo Chon."

Jenna was surprised. Kaitlin's jaw simply dropped at how she was regarded with such respect. At this, Jack simply chuckled and said, "And now you know why I chose him for you."

"I'm Kaitlin," she said softly. Loo Chon smiled at her with a nod. When the black wolf rose up from the hearth to bare teeth and bristle, Jack was now alarmed.

"Stay here," he said. "The wolves will protect you."

"Yes, Uncle Jack," Kaitlin nodded.

"Be careful, Jack," Jenna smiled.

"I always am," Jack chuckled. Loo Chon now settled to hear how Jack came into their lives, and Jack was now scouring the protected village to find out what was going on. His attention was directed to the jeweler shop. Master Dulfilo was being accosted by a traveling ruffian. Marla was being kept in the back room to be protected.

"I have nothing to sell to you!" the Master growled. "You have disrespected my apprentice!"

"All I asked her was why she wasn't on the street offering up other wares!" the man smirked.

"And I call that disrespect towards my niece," Jack muttered when he appeared in the shop entrance. "You are a coward."

"And who the hell are...oh..." the man paused at the sight of Jack's chilling glare. "So...the rumors are true! An ice demon dwells here!"

"A...what?" Jack asked with a touch of amusement. "I am hardly a demon."

"But...the stories told of how you kill..." the man cringed. Now he rose a brow.  _Apparently, the surviving raiders and others that I stopped in their tracks had decided to spin wild tales about me._  As much as he was pleased, he knew it could draw a lot of unwanted attention. For all he knew, it was the real reason the man came. He had to make a statement. Jack now took two small steps to confront the man face to face.

"I killed because I had to. Not because I wanted to," he muttered and let his winter chilling breath slap at the man. "I was provoked. Are you trying to provoke me?"

"N-no!" the man whimpered.

"My...family...lives here. I protect them. They are descendants to my cause. Any that travel to this village with ill intent, to either them or this village, have to deal with  _me_. Do I make myself clear?" Jack asked now. Dulfilo was looking away and hiding his laughter.

"Perfectly clear!" the man said.

"Apologize to my niece.  _If_  she accepts your apology, you will live," Jack glared. "Master Dulfilo, will you kindly get my niece? This man wants to apologize."

"Of course," the elderly man smiled. Marla came out from the back room slowly. Jack noticed that she was still quite upset. On seeing him there, though, she managed to smile.

"Now. Apologize to her," Jack muttered to the young man.

"I'm sorry!" he grimaced.

"Okay," Marla nodded. After the man was properly scooted out, she said, "Thank you, Uncle Jack. I was...really scared by him..."

"It's all right," Jack smiled and let her rush into his arms to cry on his chest. She was always one to get overly emotional in situations involving confrontations. He knew this all too well, and he was careful not to touch her directly. When she was finally calmed down, he gave her a butter-soft rabbit pelt with soft brown and white markings.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Oh. I brought the man destined to be a husband for your sister," he said.

"You did?! Oh!" she blinked.

"He's at your home right now. He tripped and sprained his ankle, though," he sighed.

"Is there much swelling?" Master Dulfilo asked.

"Some. Not by much," Jack shrugged. A rather potent salve was given over.

"Rub that on the area. It will help with heat and cold," the elderly man said.

"Tiger balm?! Huh. I will," Jack nodded. "Can Marla go home?"

"She was working on some sorting for me. After she is done, she can," he smiled.

"I won't be long. Um...I wanted to talk to you. Alone," Marla said. Now this surprised Jack completely and had him curious.

"Is that so? Well...when you are done, I can walk you home," he nodded. At this news, she was quick to finish her chore. Twenty minutes later, she was walking next to him back to the hut. At the small glance from him, she smiled.

"Can you do something for me?" she asked a bit hesitantly.

"If I can," he nodded.

"Can you...find someone for me?" she blushed. Now he rose a brow at her suggestion.

"Why do you ask this?"

"I just..." she frowned and shivered. "No one around here...likes me."

"How is that?"

"I just get stared at and whispered about. I think it's because Kaitlin is my sister. But...I don't know why else it would be. Jarlin doesn't notice anything, but I do."

"I see," he mused. "Where you interested in anyone? For a husband?"

"Around here?" she thought. "Um...not that I can think of."

"What are you really worried about?" he asked. He could tell she was tense. They were still walking, but he slowed to a stop with her when they were close to the small house.

"In truth," she shivered. "it's the whispers. Like I said before. I can't stand them! Especially when I don't know what they are about. But, I know they are directed at me! They only start up when I'm around. Then I hear the laughing snickers and such, and I just...I want to scream!"

"Hmm," Jack frowned. "Wait here."

She nodded and he moved into the house. A bit later, he brought out some coin to give to her. She blinked at him with confusion and asked, "What is this for?"

"Go purchase something for your mother to add to your supper for tonight," he smirked. "I want to hear if any whispers happen. Act like you normally do. All right?"

"Oh!" she gasped with a bit of excitement.  _I'm going to act as bait!_ Now she saw how much she had and decided to see if any meat could be purchased from the butcher shop. She even planned to stop by the bakery, too. Jenna had given over quite a bit to help her stay in town longer. Even she wanted to know what was being said about her daughter.

Jack listened intently from where he was on a rooftop. Nothing really started up until she got into the main square. What he heard was starting to make him livid.  _She was right about being upset from what she couldn't hear._

He targeted the two main whisperers and decided to drop in behind them. Both of them were girls about the same age as Marla. One was blond, and the other was a light brunette.  _They appeared to be sisters, too. That made it even better._  The whispers were complete jealousy over Marla's beauty with plans to start spreading more vile thoughts around about her.  _They were even talking about what to say about the rest of the family._  He was putting a stop to that. "Hello. I couldn't help myself. You both were talking about my niece? And in such a fashion, too..."

"What?!" a girl freaked and spun around to stare slack-jawed at him.

"Oh...we were saying...nothing bad..." the other girl stuttered.

"If my niece is a whore, then you are a common harlot," he seethed in a quiet fashion. "The two of you are the cause for these nasty whispers. It will stop. As of now."

"Or what? You can't hurt us!" the blond said when she got her courage back.

"I know where you both sleep," he whispered to let a chill wind kick up around them. In a blink of an eye, he was right behind them. At their shivering, he gave out a cold chuckle. "Are you cold?"

"Of course, we are!" the brunette scowled at him.

"Expect to be freezing every time you wake up!" he snarled. Now they paled. "Every time you whisper anything about my niece, whether good or bad, I will show you that I am watching you! And trust me. I don't have to kill you to make you suffer. All I have to do is keep everything cold around you. Even in the heat of summer. You both will  _never_  feel warm. Ever."

He knew they didn't believe him. Even as he left, he could sense them rebuilding their courage. So, he did something relatively simple. He chilled their home out. No fires could be lit. No warmth was given. It was a tip off to their parents that the icy village guardian was pissed off. When the girls walked in and saw the air misting around their breath from the frigid air, they realized how dire his warning was.

It was after they admitted their guilt to the parents that fires were permitted to be lit. They were both sent away without any supper as further punishment for being so cruel. As much as they wanted to grumble their misfortune, they didn't dare. The brunette tried to scowl and felt a chill wind sweep around her. That shut her up neatly. And, just to show how serious his warning was, he kept a cold chill in their bedroom that wouldn't leave until morning. Jack would be watching them for the rest of their puny lives. Or at least until he knew they wouldn't be a threat.

Marla felt as though a massive weight was lifted off her shoulders when he told her the problem was resolved. She owed Jack somehow. She did want to do something for him. On asking him, he simply chuckled and shook his head.

"I want to do something for you, Uncle Jack," she said earnestly. "I really do!"

"I'm still not done with you, though," he grinned. "You said you wanted a husband."

"Oh..." now she blushed hard.

"Did you still want one?" he grinned a bit more. At her small nod, he laughed a bit and put an arm over her shoulder. "I'll see what I can do. No promises."

"Thank you," she smiled.

"And you may want to let Jarlin know. And your parents," he smiled. She nodded to him and let him escort her to the house to finish off the day.


	18. Chapter 18

Jack had to wait a month before being able to assist with Marla's request. He wanted to make sure that Loo Chon's ankle had healed, and he needed to ensure that Kaitlin's desire for her betrothed was cemented. That was easily done with how he treated her. He defended her honor with everything he had when she was accused of something she clearly didn't do. Just by him being at her side for that was enough. They were planned to be married later in the year when winter would start.

"Going somewhere again?" Jenna smiled at Jack.

"Marla wants a husband," he smiled back. "I promised her I would find her one. I just wanted to make sure that Loo Chon was cemented into the fold."

"Quite right," she nodded. "I'm not sure who you can find for Marla, though."

"I have noticed that she likes buffer men. I have an idea of who to look for. Also, Master McGreggor may be leaving the village soon. Clifton knows all that he can teach him," Jack sighed.

"Really? It will be sad to see him go. He's done so much here," she frowned.

"I know. He may request for Marla and Loo Chon to travel with him, too. He wanted to protect her. How would you feel about that?" he asked softly.

"I..." she paused and looked away. "I wouldn't know what to think. Granted, I know that all children need to leave and expand their horizons. I just...didn't expect that of Kaitlin."

"Jenna," he smiled and moved to have her gaze at him. "I would watch over her just enough. I will  _always_  be here for you."

"I love you, Jack," she winced and hugged him tight.

"And I love you, too," he said, as he comforted her. "Is that what you were worried about? Me leaving you to follow another?"

"Yes," she whispered. He kissed her now and smiled softly at her.

"I am with you until you die. Maybe even beyond that," he said gently.

"I hope...that I am reborn...as your true bride..." she shivered. That had him look at her with a rather amused, but tender smile.

"If that did happen, I don't think I'd ever be happier," he chuckled. "Anyways, let me look for someone for Marla. I don't think that Jarlin wanted anyone yet. If he decides, I'll see what I can do."

"Do you have to leave now?" she asked with a soft blush.  _The house was currently empty._ At the small, wicked grin he gave her, he showed that he didn't have to leave right away.

An hour later and he was scanning the wind in the skies above the village. His attention was quickly diverted to a village a month's horse ride away. It was in the far northern part of the continent where the winters were much harsher. Winter was always in full reign here. When he stepped down onto the hard-packed ice and snow, he paused. He was in the middle of a village.  _This village was completely destroyed._ Now he was curious as to how.

He walked over to a half-way wrecked hut and studied it.  _The place was lit up in flames._   _The raiding was an hour old, if that, from how the coals were still smoldering in the harsh environment. If I wasn't with Jenna, I could have saved this village. But, what can I possibly do now? If anything, I was pulled here. There had to be a survivor somewhere._  Pursing his lips in thought, he turned to look at another hut. His attention was drawn here.

When his shadow blocked the ruined door, he heard a soft whisper. "Don't...come near..."

"I am here, because I was drawn here. What happened here?" Jack said calmly from where he was. He made no move to walk in any further. As he studied the hut, he noticed that it was a rather large one before. _And it was empty from the looting and pillaging that happened to it._  At the glance at several nearly frozen bodies, he could only guess at what else did happen.

"Raiders...from the east..." the voice said and coughed.

"Are you cold?" Jack asked.

"I will...freeze...soon..." the voice admitted.

"I can help you. If you permit me to come closer to examine your wounds," Jack said.

"I...suppose. Dead...anyways..." the voice seemed to weaken. He walked over now to see a young man of rather muscular physique on the ground with a rather severe wound in his side. His hair was too frosted with white snow from the open window to see the color, but his green eyes now studied Jack with disbelief.  _Was this an illusion?_  "Are you...death?"

"To my enemies, I am," Jack nodded. "But...you can call me Jack."

"Heard rumors...of an ice demon...in the south..." the man coughed.

"Not a demon. Just thrown into battle to protect those that I must. Anyways, you will die, if I don't take you back. If I save your life, then you need to do a favor for me. Nothing big. Just...marry my niece. She's not ugly. She works in the jewelry craft. There is even a blacksmith shop you can apprentice at, too. If you were interested."

"I...don't know..." he said weakly. "But...I did want...to work...with smithing..."

"Maybe this will get McGreggor to stay longer with a new apprentice," Jack mused. "Very well. Just close your eyes. The trip will be fast."

"Fine..." the man muttered and seemed to drop off into unconsciousness. A heavy fur was placed around him, and Jack was forced to lift him off the ground to carry him back to Jenna's hut.

"Jack?!" she gasped when he appeared.

"He's wounded. Badly. I was called to him for Marla. He's half frozen, too. His village was raided and burned down. He's likely the only survivor," Jack muttered.

"Go back to that village and check again? Please? For me?" Jenna begged. "I'll take care of him here, and I'll call for Marla to help."

"As you say," Jack sighed. He was pleased at her look of relief. He did like to see her smile. After setting the man down in a spare bed to get warmed up, another quick jump was done to be back in the ruined village. Musing to himself, he took out his staff of wood and ice to breathe on it. Now he gleaned what the new chilling wind could tell him.

Every single house was searched. Every piece of outlying land was scoured. There were no other survivors. But, he sensed there was an unlikely one. He was directed towards a derelict barn just outside the village. In here was a foal.  _The mare was missing. Likely stolen away. The foal was abandoned. It was a muddy brown right now and appeared to be a yearling. The poor thing was starving._

Sighing to himself, he was quick to grab the poor animal and spirit it back to Jenna. When she saw what he brought back, she paused with surprise.  _I was not expecting an animal!_

"Hey, Uncle Jack!" Marla said. Then she paused at the wounded man and the sight of the foal.

"Feed this little one. The man is wounded. Get the village healer. McGreggor will want to speak to him, too. He wants to learn how to smith," Jack grinned. Jenna was quick to help with the foal. Sheep's milk was plenty around the hut and quickly consumed by the hungry animal. Marla could only look at her uncle with the same look of surprise. "Yes. He's for you. But, first he has to live. Hurry."

"Okay!" Marla said with a quick nod and darted off. Clifton and McGreggor were next to arrive to study the man. When the wound was revealed, McGreggor swore at how deep it was.

"He bled too much," the older man frowned. "We need to give him warm fluid. Now."

"Right," Clifton said. He was quick to build up the fire to warm up some ice.

"I brought him for Marla," Jack said with a smirk. "And he wants to apprentice to you."

"Does he?!" McGreggor said. "Hmm. Clifton doesn't really know how to train an apprentice of his own yet. Well...I guess I can stick around to help with that."

"I thought you would," Jack grinned. "I'll leave and let you tend to him."

"We'll need some soft meat," Clifton said. "For a hearty stew broth."

"Fine. I suppose I can bring back something," Jack sighed. He caught a glance from Jenna and her warm smile. He gave a small smile back and vanished to help find the wounded man a decent meal.


	19. Chapter 19

It took two weeks for the man to recover enough to move. They learned that his name was Timothy, and that his family line was a wealthy group of traders before their demise. His hair was a rather intense bronze color and shoulder-length in style. He was also in his mid-twenties. Marla was already quite taken with him, and he found himself watching her a bit too much for his liking. When he learned that she was the one for him, he was able to let his feelings for her become stronger.

He was weakened from his ordeal and the attack, but McGreggor was quick to set him up with strength-building exercises around the shop. The wound was done to his side, though, so he had to be careful when it came to bending and shifting. A wheeling chair was quickly fashioned for him to at least be able to help sort the odd metals that came in. That would help keep his arms strong. He even worked his legs by pulling the chair around, if he had to. Weights were added to help rebuild his leg muscles when needed. He had to be careful when standing, but the wound needed to heal correctly.

There was one thing that Timothy was highly upset over. There was a gold amulet that was in his family for generations that was hung over the fireplace. It was the first thing his merchant ancestry acquired and made into their family trade symbol. It was a gold, coiling ouroboros dragon set against a solid gold, circular background. The edges were set in diamonds. It was the only true wealth that was fully seen in the home as proof of the merchant family line. Jack was going to ensure that it was returned.

When news of other northern villages were being raided hit the village, Jack was concerned. However, it was the same raiding party that took out Timothy's village. The ice mountains that protected Jack's chosen village were checked daily, but nothing was seen. He even checked the gossip of neighboring villages.  _None of it seemed good._  He finally contacted the raiders he made a pact with. When he simply appeared over the newly dead and cold fire, it instantly got the leader's attention.

"Who goes there?!" the leader scowled, as he marched out of his hut. On seeing Jack, he paused. "Oh. It's you. What do you want?"

"Your services," Jack said dryly. "Another raiding party is attacking villages. Yours may be next. They come again from the east. I had to tell you."

"I told you I heard rumors!" a man hissed.

"Shut up, Kole!" the leader snapped.

"Take them out quickly, and I'll give you another bag of this," Jack smirked and tossed him a large bag of gold coins. "As well as another trip to McGreggor's shop."

"We still have his weapons and armors. It's the best we've ever had," the leader nodded.

"Treat them with respect, and they could be passed down to your kids," Jack grinned softly. "Anyways, that is the message I had to deliver. If you leave now, you can intercept them and wipe them out. It's a small group, but they've been growing careless from their success. If you have trouble, I will know. This group had already pillaged a few villages. You can claim what they carry. However, I do have a small request, if you find something."

"Oh?" the leader shifted.

"There was something stolen from someone that I respect when a village was plundered. A gold token of a dragon eating its tail. I need that back. If I don't get it back, and it's found, I will kill whoever holds it. And it must be in one piece," Jack said with an icy hiss to his tone. "I vowed to retrieve it."

"I know that symbol! It's for a famous merchant line!" a raider blinked.

"Yes. And it was that household that was destroyed. I found the last living descendant there. Alive, if barely. He's well now. And he's marrying into my protective fold. So, I feel he needs that small bit of his heritage back. Retrieve it for me, and I'll double my payment offer," Jack nodded.

"Why should we? It's a spoil of war," a man grumbled.  _He must be a new recruit._  At what the wind told Jack when it howled around him, he gathered some crucial information. _And it was very interesting information._ Turning his head slowly to the man to show his irritation, he decided to play along with the man. _If only for a little bit._  The others had edged away from the recruit carefully when Jack turned to give over his icy glare in full.

"Because I'm the one who employs you and lets you live!" Jack snapped. "Maybe I need to set another example. Using you."

"No need!" the leader objected quickly. "I'll talk to him."

"I don't think he needs to be talked to," Jack said with a savage grin. It was time to drop the charade and reveal what he knew. "You're not even one that they truly recruited. Are you? You were sent by a rival group to spy for them."

"Do you have proof of this?" the leader frowned.

"Check his helmet," Jack kept grinning. "All the proof you need is on the back of it. Rather inside the back of the helmet, that is."

"Jax is a snitch?!" a man gaped. When the accused man tried to defend himself, the leader charged over and knocked the wood and hide helmet off his head. Inside the unusually cushioned helm, and under the padding, was a list of notes that stated the strengths and weaknesses of each man in the group. Without another word, his head was lopped off.

"Your token will be returned to you. For revealing a traitor, don't worry about extra coin," the leader snorted. "But, if you could freeze his head, we'll send it off to wherever he was going to send this message to! There's a location map on here."

"Let me see it?" Jack asked. The small parchment was handed over. He studied it intensely and smirked. "An eastern village. I think this is where the attacks are originating from."

"Oh?" the leader grinned wickedly.

"From what I can tell, that is," Jack nodded.

"We'll go there after taking out the raiding party. I did have something to ask you," the leader said while the body was plundered and ignored. Jack did freeze the head for them to wrap up neatly.

"What would that be?" Jack asked casually.

"I have a son that's lazy. He also feels that he can fight at my side," the leader sighed and led him into a sparse tent. The only decorations in here was a fur for the floor, a bedroll, and some torches. They were of a better quality for his status, though. Sitting down on a small wooden stump, Jack was quick to follow suit on the extra one there. "I don't want my son to pillage villages like me. I want him to do an honest trade. He's fighting it. He thinks he can fight with me. I don't want him to."

"And...what do you want me to do about it?"

"I was thinking that you could, oh, I don't know, force him into a good trade. Kick his bum a little. Show him he isn't man enough for fighting like me. I don't want him to wind up dead."

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-three winters. He's a lazy little mongrel, too," the leader snorted. "He thinks he can fight at my side, but he can barely hold up a sword much less swing it!"

"I'll do what I can. No promises," Jack grinned.

"It would be appreciated. And not expecting anything," the leader nodded.

"Here," Jack said and tossed him a small ice diamond with a runic engraving. "When you are ready for me to meet with him, say my name. It's Jack. I'll hear it and check him out."

"Works for me," the leader grunted. Jack nodded, as he rose up, and walked out of the tent. He was rather curious of this son now. He had to check him out for himself soon. He would be paying careful attention as to what was looted, too. He wanted that gold token. He was half-tempted to search for the token himself, but he didn't want to expose himself in full.  _That would put Jenna and her family at risk. It was best to let the grunts do the dirty work for me. I'll be there to clean up the loose ends. It always worked the best that way._


	20. Chapter 20

It took a week for any news about the raiding party to be gleaned. Marla was very anxious for Timothy now. He was very worried over his family's missing heritage. By the time Jack finally caught word of the ones that destroyed the village, he was ready to go.

"Leaving again?" Jenna smiled.

"The ones that destroyed Timothy's village have finally been found. I need to check them out," Jack said. "I should have his family heirloom back near the end of the day. If all goes well."

"Of course," she nodded. They were alone in the small hut for now. Clifton was so busy training new recruits that he barely had much time to come home during the daylight hours. Kaitlin was showing Loo Chon how to find mushrooms. Jarlin was in the forest with them to check on traps and repair them. Marla had to work in the jewelry shop to sort a new shipment. All of them were quite busy. Jack wasn't complaining at all. He pressed a loving kiss to Jenna's mouth and chuckled.

"I'll be back soon," he vowed. The two wolves were lounging by the warm hearth. They'd protect her. Even as they watched him leave, the two brothers knew that Jack was always busy. They were used to it. As lazy as they looked, they would spring into action the moment it was needed. This was proven at the sight of the food dish Jenna served up to them. Jenna always pampered them to pieces to show how much she appreciated their help.

Once in the air, he seemed to cringe a bit at the warm weather. It was warm up north, too, but then an idea hit him on how to slow the offending party down. Grinning wickedly, he made it to his destination. He moved to lean against a tree, as he watched the camp from a safe distance away. He counted four scouts, thirty raiders, and their leader. He found it odd that they had cattle and horses, though.  _Were they herding? It was likely for a food supply._

Musing to himself, he started to judge how far off his allied raiders were.  _They had another day's ride to get to them._  Deciding to slow down this menace, he put his idea to good use. As the weather was getting rather warm, snow melted quickly. Most of the land was dry earth. Moving ten miles out, he knew exactly how to trap them in.  _The animals wouldn't even budge with what I have planned._

Setting his staff into the ground, he focused. Then he let rime quickly coat and spread all around him. Then it got thicker into a sheen of ice. He had the ice expand to be a good inch off the ground. He did this in a circular motion around the camp, and he moved as he needed to. By the time he completed the circle, a nice, rich coat of soft mud would form. He put more ice over this. He repeated this circuit of ice the ground, move to the next section, and let it melt for the next hour. By the time the raiders tried to get here, or anywhere, the mud would be a dangerous trap.

To further the trap, he had his chilling wind coat the ground with a soft layer of fresh dirt. The ground would be like sticky fly paper for a good half mile. There was so much water in the ground that he knew that many animals would be stuck, but it wouldn't be permanent.  _They would just have to wait for the mud to dry._ When he pulled his staff out of the ground, he noticed it had sunk a good foot down.  _The depth was perfect._ Grinning wickedly, he froze the mud on his staff to break it off. Then he sat back in the air and watched his handiwork come to life.

Like little ants, the scouts began to try and break out. He heard the swearing they did when a horse got stuck. There was even more swearing when a boot was lost. Much to his surprise, his mud had another benefit.  _Thirsty biting flies appeared and were quick to take on the trapped victims._  Now the raiders were pissed, confused at what happened, and irritated at the intruding insects.

"I need smoldering ropes!" a man shouted. "The smoke will keep off the flies!"

"We can't move past that mud!" a scout shouted his report among the chaos.

"Where did this come from?!" another man asked with shock. The leader of the group was in his tent and trying to figure out what to do. He went to his chest and pulled out the merchant heirloom that he stole from the home. He knew what it was. He hoped to turn a tidy profit with it, but none would buy it. _No one wanted to be caught holding it for fear of a family curse._

"This thing has to be cursed," the burly man mumbled to himself. "I want to be rid of it!"

"Interesting," Jack mused from what he heard on the wind. "Superstition wins again. And...I have the most perfect idea on how to help that along."

He still wanted his raiders to finish the job, but he wanted that heirloom. As much as he knew that the allied leader would give him back the small treasure, Jack didn't trust the others. Judging the weather, and rather glad that there was no wind where he was, he blew on the top of his staff. A thick, chilling fog now crept down and into the camp. Men started to scream. Torches wouldn't light from the wind that suddenly assaulted them. Fires stayed cold. Animals began to panic. Jack simply grinned and began to walk into the camp despite all the chaos. He easily found his way to the leader's tent. When he swung the hide door open, he was a bit surprised at what he saw.  _The man was trying to break the heirloom with a large club. Being solid gold, the heirloom was holding firm._

"Huh?!" the leader spun around and went slack-jawed at Jack's presence. Jack now knew exactly what he needed to say next. It was too perfect.

"By you trying to break what is mine, you have called me from my slumber. I am the one causing your misfortune. You have what is mine. Give it back to me, and I will leave," Jack said in a cold, chilling tone. "If you don't, my curse will continue to plague you and your men."

"Yes! Take it!" the man said quickly and all but threw the merchant emblem at him. Jack caught the heavy gold item easily and studied it.  _It was, roughly, a bit larger than my hand. Being solid gold, it was quite heavy. It looked like a knight's shield for the golden base. The dragon that circled itself was like a limbless snake with Oriental features, but it was easily eating its own tail in a Western dragon way._ He studied the letters that held Timothy's family name within the dragon circle. But, he noticed something off.  _There was an empty slot where a diamond used to rest at the bottom of the shield-like crest the dragon sculpture curled on. It was a rather large, impressive diamond that should have been there. No other gem cut would have fit the slot. The gouging looked new, too._ He narrowed his eyes, and the man seemed to fret.

"There is a diamond missing. Where is it?" Jack said with a raised brow.

"I took it out and sold it," the man cringed.

"Where did you sell it?"

"At the last town!"

"How long ago was this done?"

"Just a few days passed."

"And the gold you got was spent?"

"Had to. For horses and cattle."

"Fine. I'll collect it in my own way. Good-bye," Jack smirked. He did let his chilling aura coat all over the inside of the tent. _The man deserved his fate._ On studying the merchant heirloom again, he saw that it was one of the outer diamonds that was taken. As much as Master Dulfilo could replace it, Jack wanted the original. Leaving the panicked raiders be, he took to the air again.

His new destination was the village the man claimed he sold the missing diamond to. He landed on a rooftop and let his wind do the searching for him. He quickly discovered that it was locked up in the jeweler's shop. He sighed and decided to make his entrance. Luckily, the shop was empty save for the man within it. Jack simply walked up to the counter and cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Can I help you?" the thin man asked lightly without turning his head. He was working on an intricate necklace piece. Likely for a custom order.

"Yes. A diamond was sold here a few days ago. I need it back. It belonged to a friend of mine, and it was stolen," Jack said mildly. Now the man turned, adjusted his spectacles, and dropped his jaw at Jack's appearance. "It came from this. I'm sure you recognize it."

He set the heavy merchant emblem on the counter. Now the jeweler's eyes went wide. He had no idea that the diamond he received came from such a priceless artifact. At this, he let out a shaky breath and said, "I...do have it. The necklace I was working on was to be made for it. But...if it came from this...no! I can't have such an item in my shop!"

"My thoughts exactly," Jack said dryly. "I need the diamond put back in. An heir is still alive and well. The man who sold it to you had slaughtered the heir's whole family. And his village."

The jeweler paled even more. He went to his back room and brought out the 3 carat diamond. With a heavy sigh, he studied where it was to go in the emblem. It was a perfect fit when it was set back into place. The man wasted no time in locking it back in.

"It's fixed. Please take it out of my shop," the man said. "Don't worry about payments. I don't want any cursed items here! Business has been poor enough, as it is."

"Really?" Jack frowned. Taking out a small pouch of ice diamonds, he gave them over. "Consider this as payment for assisting me. Those will sell well and give you noticeable fame. I am friends with Master Dulfilo in the southern village. Should you make the trek there to learn from him, you will be welcomed. If you give me your name, I can let him know. This way he'll know who you are. It may help with receiving a warm welcome."

"Master Dulfilo?!" the thin jeweler gasped. "I was one of his last apprentices! Not the last, but he taught me well! Business has been bad of late. But, if he can teach me more..."

"He has set up shop and is training an apprentice. She is learning well," Jack chuckled. "It's a two week trek, if you leave now."

"I have a couple orders to finish. As for this bag," the man muttered and opening it. At the sight of the diamonds in it, his jaw dropped again.

"Master Dulfilo works with them. I am the only one that knows how to get them," Jack smirked.

"My name is Rudulpho Levington. I would show my trade, but my mark was stolen from my pack while traveling a few months ago," he sighed.

"Then I'm sure he has it to give back to you," Jack grinned cheerfully. "It was found off of a raiding party. Good to know! It gives you a reason to see him."

"You found it?! Oh! You gave it to him! Yes, I do need it back. My business has been slow, because none believed that I trained under him. I need my proof of trade. Here. Your item is repaired. I shall leave to go to the village you spoke of within the week. You have my thanks!" Rudulpho beamed. Jack nodded and left the shop. Noting the streets were empty, he took to the air right after.

Now he aimed for the smithy of his destined village. On landing and entering, Clifton looked over with a touch of surprise. Jack waved and pointed at Timothy. Then he gestured for the young lad to come over to him quickly.

"Is something the matter?" Timothy asked.

"Oh, I don't know. Tell me. Do you recognize this?" Jack grinned and handed over the merchant heirloom. Timothy started to tremble at the sight of his family mark. He took it with shaking hands and crushed it to him, as tears of joy welled up. "It was damaged, but it got repaired. A diamond was removed. However, many believed your heirloom to be cursed. It was easy to get back."

"Thank you," Timothy swallowed and tried to recover. "This is...all I have left..."

"I know," Jack nodded. "If you wanted, we could make another spot for a diamond. I can put one of my ice diamonds in it, and I will be able to track wherever it goes. If you want that?"

"Yes! Please?" Timothy asked. "I don't want it lost again."

"I can do that. If your descendants wish it harm, I'll simply hold onto it with whatever Jenna wishes for me to keep safe. This way you'll know it will never be tampered with again. And, in time, I can give it to a loyal descendant of your line that will cherish it."

"I would like that," Timothy nodded. "I really do like that idea."

"I'll take it to Master Dulfilo. He will do what needs to be done. Marla will make sure you get it back," Jack said. Timothy nodded and handed over the merchant mark. Clifton gave a small smile and watched Jack leave. In the jeweler shop here, Jack told Dulfilo about the old apprentice he met.

"Rudulpho lives?! Oh! Yes, I will train him further when he appears," the old jeweler nodded. "As for this heirloom now...ah. I can make a spot for one of your diamonds in the very center. That's not too hard to do. I'll get to it now."

"Thank you. Marla can bring it back to Timothy," Jack said lightly.

"How large of a diamond do you wish to be placed?"

"Just a small one. I don't want it to draw too much attention from the actual mark. In fact, if you wanted to, you could even put them in the eyes of the dragon."

"I could, couldn't I? Three diamonds would make it rather easy for you to find than just one. I can do that. Very good," Dulfilo nodded again. When Jack finally made it back to the hut, it was to an unusual sight. The wolves had cornered a man in the sheep pen. Jenna was tucked away in a back room. The odd man had bite marks from the wolves all over him. When Jack cleared his throat, both wolves moved to sit at his feet in a docile manner. Yet, they continued to glare at the man.

"You must have pissed off someone," Jack snickered. The man was finally able to sit up, but he was wincing from the bites. "Lost your way?"

"I only came over here...to see if I could...get some directions..." the man muttered. At the snarling of the white wolf, he paled.

"A lie. Watch him, please," Jack sighed. The wolves continued to snarl and bare their teeth to show they were ready to lunge again. He moved into the hut and saw signs of a small struggle. On hearing Jenna's soft weeping, he moved quickly to the bedroom door. "Jenna. It's me. I'm here."

"Jack!" she wailed and moved to let him in. "It was awful!"

"What happened? The wolves have him cornered," he said and held her.

"He just...showed up...and tried to...to..." she trembled.

"Did he succeed?" Jack growled.

"No. He asked for directions to the village center. I had started to tell him where to go when he...rushed at me. The wolves attacked him the moment I was struck down..."

"He hit you?!" he said with disbelief. At the mark on her cheek, and the new bruising on her wrists, he glowered. "I'll take him to Clifton."

"I don't want you to leave!" she whispered. Thinking, he seemed to nod to himself.

"Okay. Just stay here," he said calmly. She nodded and felt the relief of his cold lips pressing against her forehead. He set her in a chair gently and moved out to the sheep pen. Looking at the black wolf, he said one word. "Clifton."

The black wolf bolted off into the village. Both wolves knew the names and scents of all in their home. The wolf scratched at the smithy door until he was let in by Timothy.

"What are you doing here, eh, boy?" Clifton asked. The wolf bounded over, bit down on the large apron, and tugged him towards the door. McGreggor had just come back from a food run when he looked over to see the odd sight. At the way the wolf was bounding to the door and trying to get Clifton to leave, he put all of it into perspective very quickly.

"Go home!" the Master ordered. "Now! I'll be there soon, too!"

Clifton didn't even bother to remove his working clothes. He followed the wolf right back to his hut to see Jack glaring at the man. The white wolf was ready to tear into him again.

"Good to see you," Jack said. "This man assaulted Jenna while I was away on business. The wolves saved her life. Do what you want with him. Oh. Jenna's fine. A little roughed up, though."

"WHAT?!" Clifton shouted with rage. Jack shrugged and walked away to let Clifton deliver his own form of justice on the man. He was sure that McGreggor would help with that later, too, with a proper village trial. Jack walked into the hut and decided to monitor Jenna for the rest of the day. She wouldn't have wanted him to leave from how scared she was. The feeling wouldn't leave her until they were alone again. Only when he was able to truly console her was she able to finally recuperate and know that such a thing would never happen again. Or so she hoped.


	21. Chapter 21

It was a day later that he got word that the offending raiders were neatly wiped out. He gave his report that the heirloom was already found and returned. At the notice that the lead allied raider wanted his son to be looked at a few days later, Jack could only sigh. He guessed that it was time.

"I need to head out for a bit. Mainly to see to a possible new apprentice for McGreggor," he said. Jenna smiled and nodded. "And I modified the collars on the wolves. The moment anyone they don't know comes up to the door, I'll be alerted. I won't have a repeat of last time."

"Thank you, Jack," she smiled. He had pressed his hand carefully to her bruising cheek from time to time to keep the swelling down. It clearly helped, but it was going to take time to fade. He kissed her gently and left. He had his wind take him to the northern shores where the village was. It was mainly a port town that dealt with trade in fish. Musing to himself, he knew that this was likely where Kaitlin would live with Loo Chon. The small village looked primitive compared to most, but it was mainly from the rough storms it went through. It was easier to repair what was known to be repaired than constantly being built with new supplies. There were some new buildings, but it was slow to convert the town.

He found where the main raid leader dwelled. He was in luck.  _The man was home._ He landed in front of the door and knocked. A large lady opened the door to greet him.

"Oy! Who be you?!" she blinked.

"A friend of the man in charge," Jack said with a slight nod.

"Murda, it's fine! Let him in! He's here to look at our lazy boy!" the man hollered. She gasped and let him in quickly. She seemed to waddle over to the main table to start putting out sweet biscuits, small cakes, and sugared milk. Of course, she grabbed a cake for herself, as she called for her son. The man was drinking a mug of ale and bade Jack to sit down. Jack nodded and took in the sights of the house. But, he did cringe a bit inwards.  _There was only one scent that dominated the house, and it was the smell of sugar._  It truly made him wonder to no end. The man at the table kept fit by eating lean on the run. It was the only way he survived.

"Living well?" Jack mused.

"Too well to her," the man grunted.

"Horath! Yah son don't listen!" the woman shouted.

"Blently, get your sorry sack of skin-filled filth down here now!" the man thundered.

"But...Dad...!" the reply was.

"I warned you, boy!" Horath scowled. Jack rose up his hand, pulled out his staff, and blew on it slightly. The chilling breeze went right into the boy's room to chill it out completely and force him out into the warmer parts of the house. That had the man laughing hard. The boy that trudged over to them was portly, had more fat than muscle, and clearly liked living it easy. Jack wasn't even sure if the leather trousers and vest even fit the poor boy properly.

"You are Blently?" Jack asked.

"Yes. What's it to you?" he frowned.

"How old are you? Exactly?" Jack asked now with a raised brow.

"He's sixteen summers. What do you think?" Horath asked.

"Sixteen? I thought you said he was twenty-three summers!" Jack frowned.

"I know, I know. I wanted to get your attention," he shrugged.

"I see. Well...hmm. I doubt that he can hold a hammer much less a sword," Jack sighed. "Doubtful that he can stand up to the heat of the forge, too."

"I can do that!" the boy argued. "I can do all of that!"

"Well, your manners need a lot of work, too," Jack said coldly. "I am Jack. I am the one that caused your room to freeze over to get you out. I can do a lot worse than that, too. Anyways, I'm only wasting my time by looking at you. Until you start working harder on yourself, you will not be able to remotely do anything that is required of you. There is also no way that you can travel with your father, either. You want to prove me wrong? Do it. You have two months. Change your ways and prove yourself to me. As for now, I decline in taking him to Master McGreggor to be a blacksmith."

"Not even for a trial run?" Murda asked with a heavy frown.

"He needs to shed a good fifty pounds before I can even think of considering him. Half of the sweets you feed him need to go. Feed him more fish. Good meat. And clean vegetables. Fruits, too. Even grains. The occasional sweet is fine for a dessert. He also needs to work more to burn off what's on him. He has two months. He won't survive the heat of the forge, and he'd drop dead under all the lifting he would have to do. It's the only thing I can advise."

"I'll make sure of it," Horath nodded. Blently only gaped with complete shock. Then he seemed to pout at his father's glare. He always bragged that he'd work hard. Now he had no choice.

"I'll be back in two months. Good day, dear lady," Jack nodded to Murda and made his way out.

"Before yah go, take some of this!" she insisted and started to press several large cakes into his arms. "If mah boy needs to cut some of this out, yah may as well take some of this to keep them from wastin' away. Yah need to put some weight on yah, too, yah know!"

"Sorry..." Horath grinned. "She does have a point..."

"It's fine. I know who to give these to. I'll be back in two months," Jack chuckled and took the five heavy cakes with him in their proper packaging. Each cake was at least a foot around and five pounds in weight. Jack was surprised that he carried them out of the house in one piece before letting his wind take over.  _I can only carry so much!_  It was the look that Jenna gave him next at the sight of the cakes that had him grinning at her.

"What is all of this?!" she gasped. Then she staggered under the weight of two cakes. She was amazed at what he always seemed to bring back. "It's so heavy!"

"The boy I spoke with needs to shed some weight. His mother decided to keep these from spoiling. They are all cakes. Heavy cakes. I can only guess that this was what she fed the poor boy. So, you can spread these around the village, if you like. Or chill them and take them out when needed," he grinned. She tried one slice and almost couldn't finish the mouthful.

"This is so sweet! Oh! My poor mouth!" she winced. "How much sugar was added to these?!"

"No clue. But, from the amount of sugar I did smell in that house, I can only imagine."

"Can you take two of those cakes to give over to McGreggor and Dulfilo? They can give the pieces out to guests and enjoy for themselves," she suggested. "There is no possible way I could have them here for so long. I would rather disperse them."

"I can do that," he smiled. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and blinked at the sugary taste that assaulted him. "And, yes, you're right. Far too much sugar!"

"Is this better?" she asked and sipped a little broth from the stew she made. When he kissed her again, he smiled gently. "Do you need another taste?"

"I have cakes to deliver," he chuckled, but he found himself kissing her yet again.

"They won't spoil in the cold storage, will they?" she asked softly.

"They were traveling in my cold winds. They're chilled enough," he muttered and planted his mouth on hers to give in to the desires they both held for each other. Twenty minutes later, the smithy had a cake delivered. When he explained where it came from, McGreggor could only chuckle and shake his head. He had heard rumors that they liked their sweets up north. At the taste from one small slice, he almost coughed and found himself in a touch of shock.

"Maybe I can use a piece or two to fuel the forge," the Master mused. That had Jack laughing hard at the thought. "Seriously! There's enough sugar in this one piece to fuel even me for a month! And they were eating these like it was a mid-day snack? Hah! It's true, though. That boy wouldn't have lasted five minutes in front of the forge. You made a good call for two months."

"I can't finish this," Timothy winced. "I'm struggling!"

"Just bear it," Clifton muttered and managed to finish off his piece. "We can use this to force-feed any would-be thieves. Or make it a challenge to customers. If they can eat a piece, they can get a free repair. I could do that."

"As much as I know how vile that sounds, we can do that," McGreggor laughed. Jack laughed even more and calmed down enough to take the second cake to the jeweler shop. Much to his surprise, Master Dulfilo had a rather secretive sweet tooth. He claimed the cake for himself.

"If you find more, I'll take them all!" he vowed.

"There's two whole ones left in Jenna's cold storage. If they can't finish the one she cut into, I'm sure you can have it," Jack chuckled.

"This is far too rich for me!" Marla confessed. Dulfilo gladly took up her slice.

"McGreggor was thinking of using the cake for his forge. Clifton suggested to feed it to people as a challenge for free repairs," Jack grinned. "Or force-feed to possible thieves."

"That is a waste! I'll go talk to McGreggor and claim his cake with a form of honor!" Dulfilo said and stormed out of the shop. Marla and Jack laughed.

"What do you plan to do now, Uncle Jack?" she asked.

"Wait two months and see what happens. Also, the village the cakes come from is a fishing village. I will have to inform Loo Chon, but only after the boy is seen to. So, in two months, I'll check on the boy and see if there were any improvements to his physique," he shrugged. "All we can do."

"I'll see you tonight for dinner?"

"Of course. I'll check over the traps, too. Ah. I'll deliver some cake to Kaitlin, Loo Chon, and Jarlin. I'll see if they like it."

"No! Serve it up for dessert tonight so we can all see their faces," she grinned.

"I like that idea even better," he grinned back and left for the hut. Sure enough, a few hours later after supper, the cake was served. The ones that did try the cake didn't eat any until the others did. At the look of shock on their faces, the rest of them were laughing.

"Where did you get this?!" Kaitlin gasped. "I think my teeth are rattling from how sweet this is!"

"The only thing sweeter I had than this was a form of rice," Loo Chon grimaced. "I think this is as equal as it can be. Ugh!"

"And this was a basic food staple?" Jarlin grimaced.

"You didn't see the wife," Jack shuddered. That had Jenna's jaw drop. "I feel badly for her."

"Why?" Marla asked.

"I could take you, Jenna, and Kaitlin to put in front of her and not see any of you from behind," Jack said to give them a mental picture. That had them all gasping in tears of shock and laughter.

"Well, hopefully, she eats as well as her son," Clifton sighed.

"She seems to be a very pleasant woman. Don't get me wrong," Jack said. "It's just...the only smell I got in that house was sugar. Either they have stores of it, or she does far too much baking and not enough trade to get rid of it all. I have no clue, really."

"Well, maybe we can help her trade out what doesn't sell," Jenna said. "Our town doesn't get that many sweets. We could even help her improve her current recipes to not be as sweet. Jack, can you take me to meet her? I could show her how I bake in the home."

"I can do that. Tomorrow," he nodded.

"If you think so," Clifton said.

"Dear, you know I like to do what I can for others. I hardly do anything around here now. I think it will help," she smiled. "It will give me something to do."

"Actually, your face is still healing," Jack said. "When your face is healed, we will go. However, I will collect any recipes for you to work with."

"That can work," she nodded. He chuckled, and, after a moment of silence, dared everyone to eat another slice of cake. At their groans of disbelief, he could only grin softly with merriment.


	22. Chapter 22

Jack was able to receive several recipes, and even more sweets, to bring back to Jenna to work with. Horath was all for possible baking trades. And, if current recipes could be improved to work even better, he wanted to do that, too. Jack was even able to contact their sugar supplier to suggest sending parts of the hard to gain supply to the lower villages. This was also agreed to.

Jenna worked hard with each recipe. Many of them needed the sugar, but she was able to cut out much of the sweet substance by substituting in hardier ingredients. Many of the recipes were easily improved and sent back. Some of the hard candies were difficult to cut down, but she managed with strong peppermint and cinnamon spices to lessen the sugar need. She even had Jack deliver small batches of the finished products. Needless to say, Murda's shop began to become increasingly popular with the changes. It was sorely needed.

Jack surprised her next with a large bag of gold coins a month later. When she looked at him with surprise, he said, "Murda is giving you a cut of the proceeds. You earned it."

"Oh! Do thank her for me!" she smiled and placed it in a cleverly made hole in the wall. Jack had fashioned it with Clifton to keep it completely obscured from view in the open area.

"I already have," he nodded. He saw that her bruise was almost gone. _In another day or two, it would be completely vanished._

"How is their son doing? Any improvements?" she asked.

"Yes. The moment he started to fit into his clothes better, his mother was pleased. Even she is starting to take in some of her clothing. And the smell of sugar is almost gone. Not quite, but it isn't as strong anymore. Horath is overjoyed. What's that?" he asked at the stack of papers she collected.

"A list of some of my favorite meal recipes. I made copies. Can you give these to her? They may help with their eating habits a bit more," she smiled. He nodded, took them, and folded them up to tuck away. "It feels good to do something meaningful again."

"Does it?" he smiled. He pulled her close to kiss softly, and he sighed. "By the time that boy gets down here to apprentice, I want Kaitlin and Loo Chon married and sent away. They can go to the fishing village for him to do what he loves. They could even start supplying you with fresh fish, too."

"That would be wonderful," she beamed. "We could supply them with rabbit and deer. If they don't have any forests around them, we could do that."

"That may work," he mused. "I've seen quite a few elk that are in their prime. I can work with it. I have also noticed that there is a new food source coming around. Wild hogs. They are being tamed and raised as something of a delicacy. If I brought you a breeding pair, I'm sure you could raise a profit. They breed out in full litters. You'll need to make some space for them, though. They take quite a bit of room and prefer warmer weather."

"Could be a touch hard to work with, unless we get a heating source. Maybe something like the forge? McGreggor could assist us with making a heat source."

"True. I'll pick up some meat for him to try, and he can decide," Jack nodded. "Let me do that now. The sooner we get started on this, the better."

"I can see about clearing out where the old woodshed was. I can convert that. The sheep do well enough, but it would be nice to see some new foods," she chuckled. Jack nodded, pressed a kiss to her lips, and vanished away. His first stop was Horath's house to drop off the recipes. Then he moved to the lands he knew of that were supplying the exotic meat source. He managed to lift a ham easily from a mass storage bin and carried it to Jenna's place first. He wanted her to taste it. At the small slice she cut for herself, and the beaming look of delight she gave next, he grinned and had her cut up a few more slices for taste testing on a small plate.

"I'll take these to the smithy now. And don't eat all of that," he grinned.

"I can see this cooked in honey," she mused. Jack laughed softly at her and nodded. He took the small plate with him, now that it was loaded with ham bits, and appeared in the smithy.

"McGreggor, taste this," he mused. The burly smith paused at working on the weapon he was repairing to do just that. At his look of shock, Jack explained what he wanted to do.

"If you get a breeding stock, I'll definitely make a heat source!" McGreggor said. "And, well, I may not be able to leave if you do get this. I've had this before, but it's hard to come by."

"What's that?" Clifton asked. Even Timothy looked over. When they tried some of the meat, they were quick to agree with the plans. "Wouldn't we get in trouble to be caught with livestock from another place? I mean..."

"Not if a trader made it through. Or if a proper deal was made," Jack grinned. "I'll make the deal, but only if you get an enclosure set up. We need that done first."

"That we do. Okay, we'll work on that when we close up. If you get the breeding pair first, I can judge how big of an enclosure we'll need. I also need to see to the pens. That filly has grown quite a bit. And the other horse you have needs a larger space, too. The sheep also need their pen reinforced. We'll fix all of that up," McGreggor nodded. Jack could only agree, and he left the shop to go back to Jenna.

"I need some coin. I need to secure a breeding pair of animals now," Jack said.

"Take half of this," Jenna said and gave over the bag he gave her earlier. He nodded and placed half of the coins into a small fur pouch. He kissed her passionately and moved out of the home to vanish away. When he reached a small farm that was selling the new breed of pigs, he mused at how he was to approach the farmer. He made a small patch of snow to pull out a few furs to cover himself with. He usually didn't do disguises, but for this he would make an exception.

On walking up to the door, he knocked. He had the weather be a touch colder than normal to show why he was wearing the furs. The stout man opened the door and regarded him. Jack said in a muffled tone, "Hi! I buy two animals. Small ones."

"Oh? Well, I'll kill them for you, too," the man nodded.

"No. Keep alive," he said.

"Nope! I'm the only farmer with them around, and I want it to stay that way. So, if you want two alive, you'll get two males or two females. That's it," the man said gruffly. "No breeding pairs."

"Hmm. Change mind for this?" Jack said simply and showed the fur pouch brimming with coins. At that, the man's jaw dropped. "I take far away. You still farmer. No see me or what I take. And you keep coins. Yes? That good?"

"Well..." the man said with indecision. _The coins would easily let me live for a good year or two off them alone. And, judging by the heavy furs this man is wearing, the animals wouldn't survive the harsh winters from where the man obviously came from._ As to why he was wearing them had him curious, but it wasn't his business. "Okay. We have a deal. Go pick the ones you want. The middle pen, though. The left one has newborns. The right ones are too big to take."

"Thank you," Jack said and moved to look over the pens. He spotted the two he wanted and let the air chill up a bit more. It was enough to make them lethargic, and it was easy to catch them. Then he was simply gone. The man didn't even know what was happening. He was busy counting his new coins.

When he got back to the hut with the two piglets, he gave one mild glare at the wolves. They now knew not to touch them. They almost got into trouble with a young lamb, but he curbed their wild nature quickly around the home. Any animals that lived there within the area of the home were part of the pack until properly butchered.

"I didn't expect them to look like this. They look cute!" Jenna chuckled. "What do they eat?"

"Grains and grasses. Like the sheep and horses," Jack nodded and removed the furs. They were covered with frost from where they touched him, but he gave them all to Jenna. "I would find you a couple calves for cattle, but that might be too much."

"I have enough with sheep, two horses, two wolves, and now these two here," she laughed softly. She had already prepared them a warm oat mash that they were digging into to feed. After they finished eating, they plopped down in front of the hearth to sleep off the meals. "I don't think my small plot of land can handle too much more. Not unless we expand fully."

"I think it would be nice for you to raise some cattle. But, I do understand. There is too much forest around you. Maybe this is enough," Jack smiled. Then she seemed to sigh at something, and he looked at her with a curious gaze.

"Although, I do admit...it would be nice to have fresh milk and cheese. Damn it, Jack! I was not planning to turn my home into a farm!" she grumbled. He barked out laughter at her and held her.

"So, you wouldn't mind a breeding pair?" he grinned.

"I don't know how you'd get them here. And, if they're calves, it would take time for them to grow. I don't know," she sighed, and he pulled her into his chest to rock her.

"I'll talk to Clifton later," he chuckled and kissed her softly.

"I'm going to want more of that meat," she blushed. He looked at her oddly and glanced at what was left of it on a cutting counter. She had carved up most of it, but quite a bit was missing. At the small bowl of honey next to it, he grinned softly.

"I'm guessing you love it?" he laughed softly.

"Not as much as I love you," she whispered. He gazed at her and kissed her passionately. When one of the wolves made a huffing sound, he broke the kiss and they separated. That sound meant that someone was approaching that they knew of. A bit of fatty skin was given to both wolves as a treat, and they easily enjoyed it. Clifton was now looking over the new livestock sleeping in front of the hearth.

"That's them? They look so strange!" he grinned.

"They breed like rats. Just give it time. I was thinking of assisting with getting a couple calves. Not right now, of course. But down the road," Jack shrugged.

"Oh! I suppose. McGreggor was thinking of training Jenna to fight, though. He wants her to learn. He's just been so busy with new apprentices and other things that he's trying to find the time to do this. He thinks it's important," he said. "And, if he does this, he may think of extending his stay to train any that wish to fight, too."

"Really? Yes. Let him do that," Jack nodded. "That will be needed."

"I'll let him know. I can handle new apprentices now. Oh, what's the word on that lad?" he asked. "Has there been any improvements?"

"Yes. He's dropped a good five stones in weight. He has another ten to go, if that. I was surprised when I saw him. Blently told me he was sixteen. His father said he was twenty-three," Jack sighed. "He didn't want me to lose interest in him."

"Of course," Clifton grinned. "But, it's good that he's dropping the extra pounds. I bet he feels better about himself?"

"Very much so," Jack chuckled. "Even his mother is looking better."

"Very good," Clifton nodded. At the sight of McGreggor bringing in a load of wood, metal rods, and fencing, he was quick to head outside to help. Timothy was watching over the shop easily with a few other apprentices. When Jarlin walked over to help, he seemed a touch glum. Jack looked over and gestured to him with a small smile.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked.

"Ah...well..." Jarlin sighed and shrugged. "It's personal."

"Talk to me. If you need us, we'll be over here," he chuckled. Clifton looked at his son, but he nodded and continued to help the master blacksmith. When they were a bit of a ways away, Jack now regarded Jarlin to let him speak his mind.

"I don't suppose," Jarlin started. "that it would be...well...too much of a problem..."

"To what?" Jack asked.

"To...find someone for me?" he said with a touch of embarrassment. "I know! I just...the girls here are too...dull. Strict. I find none of them attractive at all."

"Really? That's odd coming from you," Jack admitted. "I thought you liked to flirt."

"I do, but not when the girl gets downright cold afterwards," he muttered. "And that one tried to get exceptionally clingy. You remember her."

"Ah, yes. She sort of stalked you for a while, too, didn't she?" Jack grinned.

"Until I was forced to tell her to back down and leave. Then she spread nasty rumors that I beat her!" Jarlin grumbled. "You see my problem?"

"Oh, I do. Just be glad I got her to back off of you completely," Jack chuckled. "Give me a month. I'll find someone. The only problem is that I don't know your type."

"As long as she has an excellent form of common sense and knows what the world is about, then it's fine. Looks are something nice, but not really needed," he admitted. Jack mused at this and nodded.

"I'll see what my wind can tell me," Jack said calmly. Now that Jarlin went to help his father with the new pen, Jack went inside to check on Jenna and whisper to her.

"Are you going to play match-maker for all of my kids now?" she giggled.

"It seems like that," he sighed. "But, I am surprised. I didn't expect Jarlin to come up to me."

"It surprised me, too. I thought the girls liked him," she frowned.

"My dear, even you know how the girls are around here," he laughed softly. That had her nod with a small smile. "He just wants one with a good head on her shoulders. It seems easy enough."

"Hopefully so," she smiled a bit more. He didn't dare pull her close from how many were outside. "I did wish to speak with you later."

"Oh? We can arrange it," he nodded. "When time allows."

"Okay," she chuckled and began to prepare something for everyone to eat. Jack thought and vanished to pick up another ham haunch from another location that had a surplus. On bringing it back to her, she snatched it up to start carving up for them. He chuckled and left again to bring her some chocolates. Now she looked at him with amusement. "You are spoiling me."

"You deserve to be spoiled," he pointed out. Now she blushed, and he laughed. An hour later, the pen was built, and McGreggor was setting up a small heat source to be used in the winter months. Even the other animals would benefit from the way the heat would radiate outwards. If the weather got too severe, the small pigs would be brought inside. The sheep and horses tended to be fine when they crowded together. Heavier furs were even placed around the enclosure to trap in more heat, too.

In the hour the men worked, she had Jack get her another haunch of ham to try an experiment with. She placed it on a spit and smothered it with honey, as it cooked and rotated. When Clifton walked in from the heavenly aroma that came from the small hut, he was adamant on trying a piece.

"No! You need to wait," she grinned.

"Oh, come on!" he pouted. Jack rolled his eyes at her and watched her give in, as she sliced off a small sliver. Clifton was giggling with a form of boyish delight at the flavors. Then he looked at Jack and asked, "So, how big can these guys get?"

Jack thought and said, "With a good diet and enclosure, they can get large enough for you to ride them. And they breed in small litters. About, oh, four to six per batch. From what I saw, that is."

"Incredible! We may even be able to supply the village, if we get enough out of them. I'll still take hunting and trapping, though. We can't give that up," Clifton said.

"I wouldn't," Jack agreed. When Clifton was called for, he left to help set up a place for the heat source. Jenna moved back to the ham to turn it slowly again, and Jack walked up to her to press a kiss to her cheek. "I need to check on the surrounding areas. I'm also going to look for a girl for Jarlin. Stay here and be safe. Okay?"

"I will," she nodded. He was gone after that. She sighed and turned to continue tending to the meat. It wouldn't be until the next day that she would be alone for Jack to find her.

"Everyone gone?" he asked when he walked in.

"Yes. That ham was marvelous! We gave the bones to the wolves," she chuckled.

"Good. Now, you wanted to talk?" he smiled.

"I do," she sighed and let him pull her close to hug tightly. "Do you remember when we first admitted our love for each other?"

"Of course, I do," he sighed and cradled her. "How could I not forget?"

"You had started to leave after I was tending to Jarlin and Marla. I was not yet pregnant with Kaitlin, of course. You turned to leave...and I said it softly."

"Yes. And it stunned me."

"Yes," she smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "Then it was after some time that we started to be together for Kaitlin that you finally told me that you loved me back."

"I know," he nodded. "I do wish...that you would have a child for me..."

"You really wish that?" she asked softly.

"I do," he winced. "But...I know it will not happen."

"I could...well...try an experiment," she mused.

"Hmm?"

"I could be with Clifton tonight. Then...or maybe before he leaves to work...maybe right after..." she thought aloud. Now he looked at her with a touch of surprise. "Of course, nothing may work, but...it's worth a try. I may have to wait until next month, though. I'm too close to my monthly."

"Okay. Try it. And I'll see if I can get to you fast enough," he nodded.

"If it does work..." she blushed.

"If it does, then you are being guarded by me that much more," he grinned and tickled her lightly. "I don't know if any power would transfer, though. It may be a one-time thing."

"True. But...well...we don't know. Do we? Of course...if it does work, I can only hope that the rest of my immunity to you doesn't leave me," she frowned.

"Do you even want to try, if that's the case?" he asked.

"I think I should," she swallowed. "For a few months."

"Let's try in the spring. That's usually when you become receptive," he suggested. She smiled and kissed him deeply with the love she always showed to him.


	23. Chapter 23

It was still winter, and Jack had a mission.  _To find a wife for Jarlin._ Now was the time to try and see who he could find that would be worthy of his nephew. It was just nearing dusk, so everyone was still awake, but busy with other things. Jenna was taking a much needed nap, and the wolves were guarding her. As Jack surveyed the air, it was clear, crisp, and cold. He was at his peak of power here. He took out his staff of wood and ice to focus. Then he breathed on it to let his wind search.

He wasn't looking for just any girl. As much as it would work, he was looking for one that was completely worthy of his nephew. As he searched the wind, he was alerted to a small village several leagues south of him. _And the alert appeared to be dire._  Frowning now, he was quick to home in on the issue and appear on a roof of one of the houses in the village in question. Glancing around, he felt nothing out of the ordinary. Then he his wind directed him to a house near the outer edge of the area. On landing on this roof as silently as he could, he listened intently. From the screams coming from within it now, he narrowed his eyes. He heard a man and a young girl. He didn't like it.

"Fool girl!" a rough man scowled, as he slapped her. "You were late comin' home again!"

"Dad, please! I...they ran out of the bread you wanted!" she cried and shivered in a huddled ball. "I had to...wait for the baker..."

"Shut up! You should have come home!" he growled. "If your mama was still alive, she'd be agreein' with me!"

"You would have just...hit me again...for not coming home...with..." she started and cringed at the murderous look in his eyes for the back talk.

"Why, you...!" he seethed. "You would  _dare_  to speak to me like that?!"

"I..." she paled and readied for the next hit. It never came.

"That's enough from you," Jack said calmly, as he walked in to startle them.

"Who the hell are you?!" the man snapped.

"Someone that heard and witnessed enough. I'll take her far from here. You won't see her again," Jack smirked. When the man turned to strike at him, a cold, cruel glare chilled the man to the core. "Hit me. I dare you. I won't even budge."

"I..." the man paused. The room began to get colder. And then even colder.

"My name is Jack. As in Jack Frost," he smirked, as the man's breath began mist in front of him. "If you hit me, I'll simply freeze you to death. Now. As I said before. I am taking this girl away from you. You will never be bothered by her again. Since you obviously don't care about her. And you likely did the same thing to your wife. Any objections?"

The man couldn't say anything. His body was starting to freeze over. Jack grinned slightly and looked at the terrified girl. Kneeling down to assess her, she showed exactly how badly she was beaten.  _Her clothes were ragged. Old bruises, scars, and new, small wounds were displayed on her arms and legs. Her hair looked like a dark brown, but it was hard to tell in the poor light._ He couldn't even see her eyes from how puffy they looked from all the crying she did. When she didn't say anything, Jack said, "Tell me. How old are you?"

"Um..." she shivered and looked at her nearly frozen father. "I..."

"Ignore him," he said with a smirk. "He'll be dead soon."

"I don't...know..." she whispered and started to cry. She was completely submissive with her father in the room. Thinking to himself, he walked outside, made a patch of snow on the ground, and pulled up a fur. Walking back in, he wrapped her up in it to lift her off the ground. He didn't like how light she was.  _That was going to be a massive issue when Jenna saw her._

"You're coming with me. If he tries to find you, I'll make sure he's shattered on the ground. Frostbite doesn't have to go to just limbs," Jack muttered loud enough to be heard. "This girl is now dead to you. She has died tonight in your eyes. Get used to it."

"I'll...find her..." the man muttered.

"And when you do..." Jack said with a heartless grin. "you'll find  _me_  waiting."

That sent another set of icy chills of complete fear down his already near-frozen spine. Jack decided to take the girl to another location that was close to Jenna's village, but still a ways off. He had to talk to the girl directly and wanted no interruptions. He set her down on a small rock to regard her. The fur he gave her easily kept her thin body warm. On her studying him, she was still too timid to talk, but she knew she was safe. "I'm nineteen summers."

"Nineteen? You look younger."

"Yes. Um...I never got the care I needed. Mom died when I was in my early teens. He...beat her to death..." she winced and started to sob. Jack let her grieve at last and waited calmly for her to finish. Nodding for her to continue, she shivered, but it wasn't from the cold. "Dad...was never nice. To anyone. Unless it was dealing with coin. Mom...she tried to protect me. We tried to flee, but he tracked us down. He...forced us to go back...but..."

"I see," Jack frowned. "Do you know your way around in the world?"

"Well..." she trembled. "I would listen to the merchants when I was able to go out. I learned things. Places. Skills. Stuff like that. Not that I could do anything, but it helped to keep me out of the house longer. I just...don't feel safe still."

"If that man comes for you, he will breathe his last breath. You have my vow," Jack nodded.

"So...you can make winter?" she asked.

"I can. And I think you may work for my nephew," he chuckled. "Not as a servant. But, as a possible wife. He doesn't have my skills, but he's very loyal. And he will protect you with everything he has. What do you think?"

"Oh..." she blushed softly. "I...wouldn't know..."

"I can let you meet him," he nodded. "And don't worry. No one will raise a hand to you. Your father will find himself caught in traps and strung up by the local blacksmith, if he tries."

"I would like that," she admitted.

"Good. Then we should go. Keep the fur around you. If you don't, I may freeze you," he warned softly. She nodded and let him take her back to Jenna's hut. The sky was darkening now, and the wolves woke her up. As much as Jenna was confused as to why, she figured it was for Jack. The moment Jenna saw the girl brought in, her jaw dropped with shock at how thin the girl was.

"Sit down! Eat!" she ordered in a motherly way. "I'll introduce myself after you start eating."

"Um...okay..." the girl frowned.

"I think Clifton is at the smithy with Jarlin still," Jenna said, as she judged the time.

"That's fine. As for you, I never did get your name," Jack chuckled at the girl.

"Oh. It's Marigold," she said softly.

"Good. Hmm. You need a bath. I can't tell what your skin tone is, much less your hair color. And your eyes need to clear up, too, from all the crying. Jenna, she was being beaten by her father when I found her. Just so you know," Jack said lightly.

"What?!" Jenna asked with more shock. "Did you kill him?"

"No. However, I warned him that it was possible for that outcome if he tried to track her down," Jack nodded. "I shall inform Clifton and McGreggor about her."

"Do it now. Here, Marigold. Eat this," Jenna said warmly. "I have a son and two daughters about your age, if a little older. You may have been brought for my son. He's my oldest."

"Oh!" Marigold blinked. At the wonderful smell the stew gave off, she found herself eating ravenously. Jenna smiled and added a mug of warmed cider for her to drink next with a healthy slice of bread. She wanted the girl to start putting some pounds on. She was even considering a few sweets.

"I'll set up a hot bath for you in a bit. I want you to eat your fill first," Jenna said. Jack nodded to her to show that all was taken care of, and he left for the smithy. When he walked in, he regarded Jarlin with a small smile.

"I found a girl for you. However, she's thin, weak, and was being beaten by her father when I found her," Jack said. Jarlin looked at him and dropped the bag of ores he was sorting.

"Jarlin! Why'd you drop those?! Oh..." McGreggor now saw the tense look of dread on the young man's face. Jack now calmly repeated what he just said. "Jarlin, go see to her."

"Okay," he nodded and left quickly. McGreggor just sighed and was quick to pick up the iron ores to put away. Now that he knew why Jarlin acted clumsy, he realized it was from shock.

"I want to see this girl, too," McGreggor nodded.

"Of course," Jack nodded. It was a good thing they did get to back to the cottage. Jarlin was in a small fit of rage from the bruises he saw on Marigold's skin. And there was a fresh one forming on her cheek. Jenna was just as livid. Her own bruise was almost gone, but she could easily relate with the girl's fear. The two wolves would gladly tear into any that tried to harm her now. When McGreggor saw her, his gaze hardened completely.

"Tell me if that man comes to town," he said sternly. "I want to be there to meet him with Clifton. I insist on this."

"Of course!" Jack said cheerfully. He didn't fail to notice how Jarlin was, though.  _There was a quiet rage within him._  As much as Marigold felt much safer now, she was still afraid.  _Her father was still out there._ When the other family members were able to stop by to finally meet with her, Marigold was easily welcomed into the family. She had burst into tears from the kindness she was given.

Jack calmly watched everything, shared in a few conversations, and listened to others. But, the whole time he did, he was watching Jarlin. Later that night, he approached the young man when he was readying to go out. "Huh? Oh. Uncle Jack?"

"Yes. It's not your job to kill him," Jack said calmly.

"You...know my...?" Jarlin blinked.

"Yes. I was watching you all night. You were too furious to know that I was watching you," he sighed. "I will handle him, if he appears. I gave my word."

"No. I have to do it," Jarlin said stubbornly.

"You can't have a death on your hands," Jack sighed irritably. "Jenna would be upset."

"It doesn't matter! She doesn't feel safe with him alive!" Jarlin finally spat out and shivered for control. "I feel that I have to do this. To show that I'm protecting her. He's going to come here!"

"And, when he does, I'll handle it. With McGreggor and your father," Jack said coolly. "It is not your job to go after him. Not now. Not ever. You can witness his demise. But, you will not deal the killing blow. I will not let you."

"Then I should beat him to a bloody pulp!"

"Hmm...that could work..." Jack mused. Now Jarlin looked at him. "But, we know that McGreggor would want in on the fun. So, once again, no."

"Come on!" Jarlin argued.

"I say to let him," McGreggor said when he walked over. "I came over to check on the stalls, but, after hearing this, let him do what he wants. He wants to protect her. So, he should."

"Mother would understand," Jarlin said.

"I know she would. She just would not want you to deal the finishing blow," Jack said. "I know her that well. It would upset her too much."

"Hmm. You are right," McGreggor nodded. "I've killed quite a few vagrants in my old days. Another one won't matter. Take us to him. I'll let Jarlin deal with him, and I'll put the sorry dog out of his misery. Oh, we'll need proof of his demise."

"I'm sure he has some form of jewelry. I can check," Jack nodded.

"I should grab Clifton, though. He did want to be there, too," McGreggor chuckled.

"I'll get him," Jack grinned and sent a chilling breeze to filter around the man to wake him. A few minutes later, Clifton stormed out in a small rage.

"Jack! I keep telling you not to do that!" he shouted. Then he saw McGreggor and Jarlin.

"Blame me. I told him to," McGreggor chuckled. Jack gave a wide, playful grin at this.

"Damn it!" Clifton swore and sighed. "What's going on?"

"Want to hunt down the man that beat up Marigold?" his master grinned with a rare, unholy gleam in his eyes. Clifton paused, went back into the cottage, and came out with several traps and weapon slings. He was ready to hunt.

"Good answer," Jack grinned. "Let me find him."

"I get to throw in the first punch!" Jarlin muttered.

"But, you don't do the last one," McGreggor nodded.

"Your mother would kill you," Clifton added.

"Yes, I know," Jarlin rolled his eyes. That got the men laughing at him. Jack now used his wind to billow out and search. What he found out had him grinning savagely.

"Okay. You were right, Jarlin. This man is making his way north. There are no other villages south. Or east and west of him. His only option is north. He's currently just now riding past the first village. The horse he has looks overworked. He does this with everything, it seems. Beats them down into submission and works them until they die. Disgusting," Jack snorted.

"Should hand him off to the raiders," McGreggor mused.

"No! He needs to die!" Jarlin growled.

"Jarlin..." Clifton warned.

"Come on, Father! Even you know this!" his son argued. It was rare for him to talk back.

"This man is a bully. A very nasty one. I hate to say it, but I agree with him. So, shall we become the welcoming party?" Jack smirked. The other three nodded. "Now, we can do this one of two ways. The first is that I could bring each of you with me one at a time. Or, I wrap myself up in a fur, have you three grab hold, and hope that none of you fall off. What do you think?"

"I think the three of us need to stick with you. But, if you can deliver us to where we won't be seen, that could work," McGreggor said. "Yes, we'll be brought back the same way, but we'll manage."

"Yes, let's do that," Clifton nodded. Jarlin also nodded and watched Jack pull out a fur.

"Wrap this around you," Jack said to Jarlin. "I'll take you first."

"No. Take me first. He might get it in his head to track down the man without us. Also, take me back to my shop first. I may need my hammer," McGreggor snorted. Jarlin scowled, but knew he was right. Jack took the fur he pulled out from under a pile of snow to wrap himself up in. McGreggor grabbed ahold of him and got taken to the smithy first. Once he had his massive hammer strapped to his side, he grabbed hold of Jack again and found himself standing in a different place a few minutes later. He felt a touch cold and another fur was given over to him.

"Just wait here," Jack muttered. McGreggor nodded and soon found Clifton standing next to him. When Jarlin appeared, he was not happy that he was last.

"You didn't wait that long! Stop pouting," Clifton growled. "Where is he, Jack?"

"Approaching us on horseback. Give me a minute," he grinned and took out his staff to blow on it. A flurry of snow started up. Then the wind picked up to blanket the area in the loose snow. Another breath was given over the top of the staff for a thick fog to roll out from it.

"I can't see a thing!" McGreggor scowled.

"Hold onto this," Jack said and handed over an ice diamond to each of them. When they began to see through the trap he set, they were amazed. "Clifton, set your traps to be along and in between the trees. I'm sure he'll be riding through them."

"Will the traps hurt the horse?" he asked.

"Depends on the trap you choose to use," Jack shrugged. He nodded and had his son help to set up a non-harming hobbling trap. It would force the horse to stop in its tracks to avoid injury. A few meters above that, other traps were set that would spring on the man when he dismounted. McGreggor tested a few with a large stick to ensure they would work. Once it was done, they all hid. Jack remained in full view with his staff on his back and his arms over his chest.

"Hee-ya!" the man shouted, as he urged his already overworked horse on. When the first trap sprung to wrap around a front leg, the horse screamed in protest and fell to its knees. Jack had made the snow extra soft just for that. He didn't want any broken limbs, and the horse didn't deserve such torment.  _Jenna was likely going to get another horse._

As the man swore at this, he got off the poor animal's back, kicked the horse's rump in anger, and began to walk. Then the first trap sprung up to snag his ankle. He shouted with shock and moved to free himself quickly. Right when he got his foot free, another trap was waiting patiently to hinder his other foot. He screamed with rage before pausing at Jack's cold, cruel laugh.

"You just don't like warnings. Do you?" Jack snickered now.

"She's mine! I made her! I can do what I like with her!" he growled.

"She died on the way to her new destination," Jack said. "She didn't survive the kick you gave to her ribs. So, there is no need for you to find her."

"Then I want her body as proof!" he snapped. Jack found himself laughing at how clever the man was. He was also surprised.  _I never suspected that she was kicked. It must have been how the first screams I heard had fully started. This proved exactly how brutal the man truly was._ "If she's dead, then I want to be the one to bury her!"

"Or beat on her corpse because you can?" Jack asked coldly. "For all that, I wouldn't give her back to you if she was alive or dead. I'd rather just see you dead."

"And so would we," McGreggor said gruffly when he walked over to be seen. "I'm a master blacksmith and I despise men like you!"

"You're a waste of life," Jarlin growled darkly.

"I can't believe I wasted two of my best traps on him," Clifton sighed. The man's jaw dropped.

"Do tell me. Why do you act like this?" Jack asked calmly. "For what reason?"

"There is no reason for him," Jarlin said. "He just needs to get his own ass kicked!"

"Jarlin!" Clifton snapped at him, but Jack rose up his hand.

"It's understandable why he feels like this. Marigold was meant to be his wife. He only wants to protect her. So, we need to figure out what to do with you. They want to kill you. I want to kill you. So, we all want to kill you! Now, convince us why we shouldn't," Jack mused.

"None of you have any right to judge me!" the man spat out. Then he got silenced by a solid fist to his jaw by Jarlin. At this, Jack only nodded. For the next hour, it was the man's screams that filled the air. When Jack finally froze him solid, McGreggor's massive hammer came up and smashed down on him to shatter the man fully.

"All in a night's work," McGreggor chuckled and wiped off his hammer.

"I can believe that. Now what?" Clifton asked.

"I heard some wolves running about. We'll let them finish off what's left while it thaws. The horse needs to come with us, though," Jack said. Jarlin was already checking on the poor beast.

"Two shoes came off. It can't run right now. Appears to be a three-year colt. A stud. I don't see anything broken. Don't know how he got this one, but, this guy is in some pain now," Jarlin frowned. The young stallion had a nice, solid tan coloring all over him with darker marks on the tips of the ears and muzzle. Even the mane and tail looked pretty with the darker coloring. They didn't like the whip marks on his rump, and some of them were bleeding. Especially after the savage kick he was given.  _The muscle was likely bruising under the hide._

"Glad he's dead," Clifton growled. Jarlin nodded and helped McGreggor carefully ease the horse to his feet. On studying the legs, he already saw mass swelling around the knee joints from intense running. Jack noticed this and carefully iced around where the pain was.

"I can transport all of us, if you grab the horse carefully. It will be rough, but there is no way that this animal can take another step," Jack muttered. They all agreed and carefully moved around the suffering horse. Jack had to focus hard to do the quick move with a rather forceful wind. The horse was mildly spooked when he brought them all in front of the cottage.

"I'll handle the horse. You both go to bed," McGreggor said sternly, as he calmed the animal down. The horse nickered, but fell to his practiced hands with a soothing stroke to the forelock.

"Right," Clifton nodded.

"Oh, we need proof that that man is dead," Jarlin said.

"That's right. Go to sleep, and I'll get that proof," Jack nodded. He now watched both father and son retreat to the cottage for warmth. After that, he vanished away to look at the man's crumpled and broken corpse. Not seeing anything of value on him, he went to the man's home. On doing a search with his wind, he found an old pendant locket. A faded portrait was in it, and this was claimed. He got back to the cottage and found Jarlin waiting by Marigold's bed.

"Did you find something?" Jarlin asked. Jack nodded and handed over the pendant. Jarlin sighed with a nod and focused on Marigold. After her bath, her skin was extremely pale from all the dirt that was crusted on her. Her hair actually resembled a warm, rich reddish brown. Since she was sleeping, her eye color still couldn't be determined, but she was very pretty. Jack only mused that her hair almost resembled Jarlin's hair.

Outside, McGreggor was able to bribe the suffering horse closer to the warmth of the outdoor forge with a sweet carrot. He had to check on the hooves of the animal. The horse was limping on them.

"Likely never had treats," McGreggor snorted. "I want to remove the shoes. The other two still on are ready to fall off. I can see the nails dragging in the snow."

"That's fine. Oh. The shoes are pretty much dug in, aren't they? The hooves are growing over the metal. That's not good at all. Okay, hold our new friend steady," Jack said. McGreggor did just that, as Jack froze the shoes one at time to have them break apart easily. McGreggor had a shoeing kit ready from the other horses there. The rest of the night was seeing to the horse's care and healing.


	24. Chapter 24

Jenna was stunned to find out that she was now the proud owner of yet another horse the next morning. _And this one needed severe care._ McGreggor already optioned to help oversee that. He had taken a liking to the horse. He wanted to rename the horse Jasper, and it was quickly agreed to.

"I may just take him off your hands when he's well enough," McGreggor smiled.

"That's fine. He looks like he would be an excellent stud when he's healed up," Jenna smiled. Sweet grasses, sugar cubes, and hearty rolled oats were prepared to be given over now. As they continued to converse, Jack was sitting on a rooftop and listening to his wind for any news. He only smiled, as he heard Kaitlin talking about wedding plans with Loo Chon. _They wanted to get married in the spring and see about moving to a fishing village._ Jack did show them a decent fishing spot a mile off, but they really wanted an ocean view for better fishing.

When he focused on Marla, she was also talking about marriage with Timothy. _They were even discussing on where to settle next to establish the blacksmith trade._  He rose a brow at this.  _Even Marla was thinking of opening up a jewelry shop. Master Dulfilo did give her an apprentice badge that he made for her. And she wanted to hang up Timothy's family merchant crest in the shop to add even more popularity. That would be welcome._

He also mused that Rudulpho had finally come down to see the older jeweler. A small test of skills was done, and his property of the stolen badge was given back. Rudulpho couldn't stay away from his shop for too long, but a list of things for him to try was established by Dulfilo. He was also given a nice stock of surplus gems to take back with him. It would definitely help. Rudulpho was struggling on finding a good supplier. He still had some time, though. He wanted to learn any new skills, and he had a few days to spare before he needed to go back.

"I'll see if Jack can help you. Actually, I'll give you the name of a few traders that roam around your area. That may be better," Dulfilo smiled.

"I would appreciated it, Master Dulfilo," his old apprentice said.

"And Marla would benefit from any new tricks you have learned. Care to teach her for a bit?" Dulfilo asked. This was readily agreed to. Jack could only nod at this. He was rather pleased. Something began to nudge him to check in on the northern village where the raiding leader was, and he made his way there. When he got to the main house, the man waved at him from where he was lounging just outside the door. Jack nodded to him slightly.

"I was wondering how to get ahold of you," Horath said. "Glad I remember to use that diamond! I want you to look at my son again."

"If he's sixteen...well...fine. I'll take another look at him," Jack agreed. When he saw Murda, he was surprised to see that she had changed so much after losing fifty pounds. She even seemed to be moving around a bit faster, too. Blently came down the stairs and looked like a completely different boy from when he last saw him. He looked stronger, far more able bodied, and looked like he could truly survive the heat of a forge at long last.

"Can I work for a smithy now?" Blently asked.

"I think McGreggor will test you. I'll take you back with me," Jack nodded. "We'll be traveling by wind, though, so it may get cold."

"Okay. I'm ready," he nodded.

"No. Put on something warmer. Yes, you'll be going into a forge, but getting there may give you some frostbite. Change your clothes," Jack ordered.

"Do as he says, boy. Go on!" Horath said. Blently sighed, but went up the stairs. Five minutes later, he came back down wearing a large fur. Jack nodded and led him outside. Then he called the wind and grabbed Blently's shoulders. He ignored the sudden swearing, since Blently was warned, and reappeared with him a minute later outside the forge. Jack now shoved the shivering youth into the warm building and nodded to McGreggor.

"Who's this?" the master smith asked.

"Blently. The youth from up north that had to shed some weight," Jack said.

"Oh! Good to meet ya! Let me take a look at you. Okay, I'll run some strength tests on you and some memory tests. I'll set up a cot for you to sleep on while you're here, too," he said. "However, we'll start tomorrow to give you some time to settle in."

"Okay," Blently nodded. It sounded fair to him. Just as he was about to walk out, Jarlin walked in with a look of intense worry.

"Jarlin? What's wrong?" McGreggor asked. "Oh, this is Blently. He'll be training alongside you. He's the one from up north."

"Oh! Hello. You'll enjoy it here. Hard work and it pays off," Jarlin smiled. "Anyways, it's Marigold. I'd like her to do some strength tests here to rebuild her muscle."

"That's a very good idea. After all she went through, I'm sure she needs it. Let her put some pounds on first, though. Then we'll work on it. She may have to heal for a good month or two before I can really see what I can provide. But, I can give over a couple ore baskets for her to practice lifting with. Short bursts, of course," McGreggor nodded. Jarlin sighed with relief. That was what he wanted to hear. "Timothy! Your side isn't healed enough! Sit back down!"

"If I can't stand, then I can't get myself to walk again!" a voice from the back room retorted. Blently blinked at how many were apprenticing already. He vowed to become better than them all. Jack just watched everything with amusement. When he looked over at the forge with a mischievous grin, the smithy waggled a finger at him to not do it.

"But it would be so much fun!" Jack snickered.

"Sure. For you! Then I'll be late on repairs and orders!" McGreggor scowled. "I need Clifton here. Go make yourself useful."

"Right, right," Jack chuckled. He did give a nice, cold breeze throughout the shop just to hear McGreggor swear at it, though. He had to have his bit of fun in the end. He found Clifton looking around in the butcher's shop, and the message was relayed about Blently.

"Good! I'll meet him in a bit. I was just picking up something real quick," Clifton nodded. Jack nodded and now moved to Jenna's home. The two pigs were growing swiftly and were already getting set up with a warmed little hut outside next to the forge. When he walked into the small cottage, Jenna was right there to hug him tight.

"How's Marigold?" Jack asked. At the kiss he got, he thought to himself. Then he scooped her up and took her outside to their forest retreat. The wolves were allowed to stay in to guard the girl. When they got to the spot he always used with her, he sighed and pulled her close. "Do you really want to try for a child with me? Even if it may not work?"

"Jack. You know I do," she said and pressed into him. "The moment I saw you in that snowstorm long ago...you knew I was yours..."

"And...if we...do make one..." he whispered.

"It just means that, aside from you having a bride, you'll have another part of us out there in the world. Your own progeny," she chuckled. "Wouldn't you like that?"

"Well...me having my own bride is a bit of the same..." he started. At the look she gave him now, he tensed. "But...I'm always open to negotiations..."

"Feeling a bit cold, Jack?" she teased. He smirked at her and gave her an intense kiss.

"Not as cold as you're going to be," he muttered and began to help her undress in a careful way to keep from touching her directly. With the two of them lost in each other within the safety of the woods, Jarlin was making his way back to the cottage. He noticed that his mother was gone. He sighed and figured she went out to pick mushrooms. Then he noticed that her mushroom basket was still there. That had him pause, but he knew she would be back later. Then he saw the white wolf huff and get up to grab the basket handle with his teeth before darting out the door. Jarlin could only figure that she just left and forgot it. _There were times that she did do that when she was in a rush to get the early morning harvests._ He saw the wolves deliver her basket to her before.

The black wolf lounged lazily and accepted a good ear scratch in appreciation, as Jarlin moved to check on Marigold. She was sleeping deeply right now and had quite a few of her cuts and bruises healing. The village healer was able to give over a potent salve to help with that. He sat next to her sleeping form and took out the locket he was going to give her when she woke up. _It was an old locket made of some very weak gold metal. It looked like it was broken at one point._ On studying it, he realized that it was dented up. _It was thrown at a wall, most likely._

"Sick bastard," he growled to himself. "He should have suffered longer!"

On studying the small pendant again, he knew he would want to fix it up. But, he also wanted to wait to see if it was okay with her first. He wasn't sure how fragile it was. He didn't want to damage it. When he saw her shiver and cringe in her sleep, he moved to gently pull her into his lap.

"Huh?!" she gasped and coughed herself awake.

"Easy. It's okay," he soothed. "You were having a bad dream."

"I have a lot of them lately," she sniffed and leaned into him. He showed her the pendant, and she gasped. "Thank you! This was...my Mother's pendant..."

"I thought it was," he said with a sad smile. "If you want, I could see about making it look better. I did notice that it was damaged."

"Could you make it better?" she asked softly.

"I work in a smithy. I'm sure I could make plenty of upgrades to it. And my sister works in jewelry. I know she would love to make this into a one of a kind piece. And we will be very careful to not damage the picture in it," he promised. She shed even more tears and pressed into him. "Don't worry. You're safe now. That man's dead, and I witnessed it. I even threw in the first punch."

"You did?!" she gasped.

"I did. His horse is outside, too. Did you have a horse?"

"No. He...probably stole it..." she winced.

"Well, my master smith may keep the horse, if the young stud's unclaimed. He's taken a liking to him! Uncle Jack likes the horse, too, but he doesn't need horses."

"Your uncle?"

"The one that freezes things."

"Oh! He's your uncle?"

"Yeah. Long story," he chuckled and was able to carefully fill her in on how he wound up in their lives. She was completely amazed. "He's the one that helped our town prosper."

"He also saved my life. My Dad...I don't know why he was always like he was."

"Well, I'm just glad that he's gone," he muttered and squeezed her. "I know you're meant for me. And I know why you were found. So...do you think you're okay when it comes to being with me?"

"Oh. Well..." she blushed softly. Her eyes still looked a little puffy, but he saw they were a rather vibrant emerald green. "Did you really punch him first?"

"Yes," he nodded. "And I'll do it again to anyone that tries to hurt you."

She smiled softly and shivered. She was still quite sore in a lot of places, but she felt better now. She had someone that truly cared about her. She shivered again and found herself getting squeezed in a protective way. He clearly wanted no other now.  _I feel as protective over her as the wolves were over Mother!_  He found himself yawning, though. Deciding to sleep alongside her, he was able to move her carefully to stretch out against him in the small bed. Now that he was resting contentedly, Marla was still busy in the jeweler shop and learning what she could from the older apprentice.

"Very good mold!" Rudulpho praised. "Now, take the small tweezers and carefully fit the gem into the prongs. The gold is still soft, so a small squeeze is all you need."

She nodded and focused hard to make sure that it was perfect before the gold fully cooled off. Buffing it up with a cloth, she inspected her work and got praised again. Master Dulfilo walked over to inspect it carefully and chuckled. "You are doing very well. Soon you may be at my level of expertise. So, I am going to give you a small test. Earlier today, I received a small necklace. It needs gem replacing. I want you to handle this."

"Okay!" she said cheerfully. The gems were already selected for her and set aside at the workstation. She studied the delicate necklace and got right to work. When Timothy walked in, he was stopped by Rudulpho from seeing her.

"She's fixing a very delicate project. Master Dulfilo is testing her. She'll go to you when she's done here," he said. Timothy chuckled and nodded at this when he walked back out. He wanted to show her that he was starting to walk again. A short while later, Blently walked in out of curiosity. "Can I help you, good Sir?"

"Just looking about," Blently smiled. "I'm the new apprentice for Master McGreggor."

"Oh! Very good!" Rudolpho chuckled.

"Yeah. I start training tomorrow. So, this is the gem shop?" he asked.

"That it is. Master Dulfilo works closely with Master McGreggor. They are old friends. I am one of the older apprentices. Marla is also here, and she is fast catching up to me, too. Feel free to look around. I have some work to do in the back," Rudulpho smiled. Blently nodded and looked around at all the intricate jewel work. When Marla stepped out of the back room to set the repaired necklace in the proper protective case for the recipient, he paused in shock.

"Hello! My name is Marla. If you need something, just let me know," she smiled with a pleasant nod. He could only nod back. He was smitten with her. Dulfilo came over to check over what she did.

"Very good! However, you need to clamp down a little bit more on that top gem. Fix that and it is superb! And Rudulpho told me that Timothy came by to look for you. Fix the gem, and you can see him," he said. She beamed and did just that. Now Blently grimaced with a bit of jealousy. Marla skipped out of the shop quickly, and he had to follow her.

"Timothy!" she said happily and ran into his arms. He laughed and squeezed her to him. A small kiss was pressed to her mouth with a chuckle before he looked over at Blently in the distance.

"Hello, Blently. Marla's my fiancée. Jack brought me to her. He saved my life so that I could be with her," he smiled. "I have some free time, Marla. Want to check on Marigold?"

"Yes. We should," she nodded. Blently seemed to scowl to himself.  _If Jack was putting them together, then I can't get in the way. Or can I? She looked to be about my age._ As he tried to follow them, he overheard them talking about marriage decorations. He cringed.

"Marla!" Kaitlin said from where she was on the path with Loo Chon. Blently was dumb-struck once again.  _These two girls were so pretty!_ "Loo Chon and I caught some large fish for dinner!"

"Really? Great! Let's see if Mother is home," Marla laughed. Kaitlin ran back down the path and helped Loo Chon bring over some large fish that were hanging off of various strings.

"Um..." Blently finally started. They looked over at him.

"You know, if you want to get started on working, I'm sure Master McGreggor could set you up with something. Tagging along with us should be okay, too. It's their mom that was helping your mom with her recipes. She may like to meet with you," Timothy shrugged. When they got to the cottage, Jenna had just gotten back with a basket of mushrooms. Jack was reclining in a small corner chair to give a mild wave. At the sight of the fish, Jenna laughed and let Loo Chon prepare them. Jarlin and Marigold were still sleeping. They were left alone for now.

"Jack, was there any form of specialty meat you think you can get your hands on?" she asked.

"You want another ham?" he grinned. At her small blush, he sighed and got up from the chair. "Give me a bit. And you. Blently. Behave yourself. I'm always watching my nieces and nephew. But, if you do well, I may be able to find someone for you. But  _only_  if you follow the rules."

"Rules? And you would find someone for me?" Blently asked.

"My rules. And there are two rules. One. Don't try to interrupt anything that I put together. Including relationships. Two. I brought you here to work in the smithy. Don't get any other ideas. Or I'll simply take you back to your father. Then you can deal with him. Do we have an understanding?" Jack asked with a rather icy glare. At Blently's nod, he smiled and said, "Good! If you prove yourself to me by following these two rules, I shall see about finding a girl for you. So, prove yourself! I need to get Jenna something for supper tonight. If you wish to join this family to partake in it, ask her."

"Okay," Blently said. At what Jack said, though, it caused a small wave of mistrust in Timothy. Now he realized why the youth was following Marla around. He would be on a mild alert.

"Jenna, did you need anything from the bakery?" Timothy asked now.

"I am running short on bread," she nodded. He nodded back, grabbed Marla's hand, and had her leave with him. The protective streak to keep her close was now in place.

"Timothy?!" Marla asked.

"Blently likes you. I'm sticking to what your uncle said. You're staying with me for the rest of the evening," he growled lightly. Now her jaw dropped. Then he stopped in his tracks, turned, and kissed her hard. "My life was spared to be with you. I won't let a little boy step all over me!"

"Tim," she said softly. "I'm sure my Uncle put him in his place. Just remember one thing for me. Don't let this jealousy get to you. I don't like it."

"Okay. And, come to think of it, I'm sure Master McGreggor would make me sit down for two days if I did anything," he mumbled aloud. She giggled at that. "I'll be neutral until there's a slip."

"Good," she smiled. "Let's see if they have some herbal bread today. They go so well with fish! Don't they? Oh! Let's see if there are any cooking crumbs, too. Mother sprinkles those crumbs over things and they taste so good after being cooked in them!"

He laughed in agreement at that. For now, he'll let everything go until Blently tried to pull something. He didn't know how he would react if that happened.


	25. Chapter 25

A month passed by like nothing at how carefully Blently was watched by Timothy. The youth seemed to fail at everything he did until the tenth try to get it right. Timothy was not impressed. Jarlin simply kept his mouth shut at the berating McGreggor gave him.

"What did I tell you to do?" McGreggor asked.

"Heat the iron first until it's hot. Once the iron is red, I would then beat the iron into shape. After the form is made, you put it into the water to cool it," Blently sighed.

"And you put it right into the water after taking it out?" the master smith asked.

"Sorry..." the youth sighed and moved to reheat the iron again. Jarlin looked over at Timothy. They both moved into a back room.

"He's an idiot!" Timothy said. "He knows what's said, but he doesn't apply the orders?"

"Master McGreggor told me there are some out there like him. They're like rough ores, too. Just need a few more strikes with the hammer to get them going," Jarlin grinned.

"More like a sledgehammer," Timothy muttered. Jarlin laughed at that. They always kept their talk low key. When Clifton walked over to them, they both bit back their laughs at the look on his face.

"Why did we accept him again?" the man asked. Both young men chuckled.

"Entertainment?" Jarlin asked. At the sound of another harsh scolding for a botched job, Timothy cringed. "Now I just feel pity."

"There has to be something going on in that boy's head. I'll distract McGreggor. You both talk to him," Clifton muttered. Jarlin and Timothy seemed to scowl at that. They didn't want to do anything with Blently. When the burly man was led off to the butcher shop to look for a good meal for them all with Clifton, the two youths went up to Blently.

"Why is that you know what to do, but you don't do it?" Jarlin asked.

"It's a condition I have. That's all..." Blently seemed to mope. He was filling out neatly from the work he was doing, but it was clear that something wasn't quite right with his mind.

"That's a bit redundant to me," Timothy said. "All you have to do is follow the orders."

"Well...I think I can do them better..." he replied.

"What?" Jarlin seemed to stare with disbelief. "Okay. McGreggor has been doing his work for  _years_  before our time! You don't question his orders! You want to be a great smith? You work from the ground up. This is something that you always do. You don't become something simply overnight! It takes time to learn and process things. Even I botched a few things here and there. What you're doing is the very basic of smithy work. If you keep botching this, you'll be sent back home."

"I know it. I just want to be up to your level!" he finally admitted.

"And you will with practice. We'll soon be gone from here. You'll be the main one here, so you won't have us to lean on," Timothy said calmly. "If anything goes wrong, all of the blame will fall on you. Just remember that. Also, Master McGreggor doesn't plan to stay here forever. You'll be working with Clifton. He's very close to becoming a Master, too. He also learned from the ground up."

"Oh," Blently frowned.

"So, if you know what to do, start applying what you know to what you have to do," Jarlin said. "This may be the only time we get to talk to you. Weigh your options carefully."

"Okay," Blently nodded at this. Now that the spark of desire was there to do what he knew he had to do, it seemed that his future on staying at the smithy was saved. "Oh, I did want to ask something. If you think you can answer it?"

"We can try," Jarlin said.

"Jack said he would find someone for me. Do you know when?" Blently asked.

"That's up to him. You have to prove your worth to him. If he's going to dedicate his time to help you, then you need to show that you are worth his time," Jarlin said seriously. "You don't want to cross Uncle Jack. He will never trust you again."

"Yeah," Blently readily agreed to that. He heard the stories of what his father told him that Jack did to his camp. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of Jack's chilling temper. As he now went over his options, Jack was hovering over Jenna. She had gotten intensely ill just a moment ago.

"Jack..." she cringed.

"Do you think...?" he asked gently.

"If it happens tomorrow, then I'll know," she whispered. "But...I felt cold when I got sick just now. As if I had a slight chill. Then it went away. I never had that happen before. Even with Kaitlin. I'm starting to think...to believe that..."

"You were with Clifton before me?" he asked.

"Yes. Within that same day," she nodded. "Actually, I think...I was with you first. Then I was with him. So...I was with him later in the day."

"We were together first, weren't we? Ah. You were with him later in the evening within that small block of time. You had warmed back up for a while after being with me. Good. Even I don't know what can happen. If he has suspicions, I'll shrug. I am completely clueless when it comes to what my powers do. He can't hold me accountable."

"Unless it looks like you."

"We won't know that," he muttered. "Not until we know for sure that this is real."

"I think it is," she said and leaned into him. "And...hmm. You're warm to me again."

"What?!" Jack gaped.

"I'm not feeling cold around you," she said.

"I...don't know...what to say..." he said in a rather rare state of shock. Her eyes were still the same, but she was showing no odd effects around him anymore. She placed her hand on his cheek and drew him close to kiss him.

"You don't have to say anything," she smiled warmly.

"I love you," he said and pressed his face into her hair.

"I love you, too," she said and hugged him tight.

"I honestly don't know how you'll explain to him that the cold doesn't affect you."

"He'll know that this pregnancy is special. Yes, Kaitlin will be the one to carry out your duty, but our child could be a fail-safe. If something happens to her. And...if the pregnancy fails..."

"We'll see what happens. I actually sort of...hope that it thrives..." he smiled. "But...now I'm worried for your health."

"I should be fine," she soothed. "If anything happens, I'll tell you."

"I know you will. And you know I'll be watching over you intensely," he chuckled.

"You do that, anyways," she chuckled back. He actually felt a sense of giddy elation. _It would be nice to have a son or a daughter of my own. And, if it was with Jenna in full, it would make it even better._  The two wolves were already showing their reactions with wary glares around the room.  _Even they sensed the new change._ Jack was now fully convinced that she was pregnant with his child.

"I'll need to see what I can get you to eat," he mused. "You'll still need to act as though the cold affects you, though. It could give something away."

"Or I simply say that I think I'm pregnant again, and that it feels like the same I did with Kaitlin. That you and I are both unsure if a fail-safe was created. I haven't had children since after Kaitlin. It can be a possibility," she shrugged. "Even you don't know what your powers do."

"True," he nodded. He didn't realize that he was pressing a hand over her belly now. It was as though he was determined to make sure this one was fully protected. Then he had an idea. "I need to make a stop into town. Wait here."

"Okay," she nodded. He kissed her lovingly and moved out quickly to let his wind transport him to Clifton's side. At the sight of him, a nod was given.

"Clifton, Jenna might be pregnant again," Jack said with an amused look. At Clifton's look of surprise, he continued, "And she seems to be immune to me. As in, it may be another special child. I'm not sure. Even I don't know what to expect when it comes to what my powers did to her."

"Are you serious?!" Clifton gaped.

"She got intensely ill. Then she looked at me and said that she didn't feel cold," Jack sighed.

"But, I thought you said only one child was to be done," McGreggor said. The master smith was still in Clifton's company. At how Jack seemed to shrug and look as clueless at Clifton, the older man sighed. "I'll be sticking around for this one, too."

"Really? You would stay longer?" Clifton asked. "But...Jenna might be pregnant again?!"

"This one has me curious. But, I figure that any children with his abilities would require strict attention on," McGreggor muttered. Jack seemed to chuckle at that. "Clifton, go check on her. Jack, I want to talk to you a bit more about what to expect with your powers."

"Of course," Jack said. Clifton was already gone after hearing of her possible new condition. When they knew he was out of earshot, McGreggor glared at the icy being.

"The kid doesn't belong to Clifton, does it?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack snorted.

"I see how the two of you are together. I'm not blind," he pointed out. "What really happened?"

"Hmm..." Jack pondered.

"I won't tell him," McGreggor said with a roll of his eyes.

"Fine. Yes. I was with her in the same time frame that he was. It was her idea. And, if she wasn't having problems with my touch to begin with, she would have been mine in full," Jack said. "So, it's a strong possibility that this child is mine."

"I will be the personal guardian of this child," McGreggor said. "If anything happens, I will care for it. It's the same with Kaitlin. You know my thoughts on it."

"I do," Jack nodded. "We have a feeling it's mine, because she is immune to me. Completely. But, it may only be while she is bearing a child."

"That would confirm it," the master smith sighed. "Do you tell the other kids?"

"Only if they get suspicious. Otherwise, no. The less that know of this situation is for the better. I don't want any others to intervene and mess up something in motion."

"I can agree with that logic."

"Good. I'm already...unsure of what to expect. This is a complete first for me," Jack admitted. Now McGreggor realized exactly how bad it was.  _Jack was scared._

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" he asked.

"I am. She's the only one that has ever touched my heart. I was against what she wanted for fear of her health. But...even I wanted it, too. What more can be said? We talked about it at length for a very long time. Neither of us knows what to expect."

"I see. Well, I will help with whatever I can. The kids are raised right. That's something I'm pleased with. And, I know you're concerned about her well-being. You have my support."

"And, if Clifton ever found out..." Jack sighed.

"He won't," McGreggor vowed. The frigid man nodded and was deep in thought.

"I don't know if she'll have the same needs as Kaitlin did, either. So, I need to keep a constant check on her. I feel incredibly protective over her right now. I have to ensure that this pregnancy thrives. If something happens to Kaitlin, my direct heir may help. But...I honestly don't know how it would work. Kaitlin would be the one to make me a true bride in the end with her descendants. My children will just...well...a new progeny, I suppose. I don't know what to expect."

"Did you even think any of this through?"

"I tried."

"Hmm. I'll do what I can. No guarantees."

"I wasn't expecting any," Jack chuckled.

"Well, for what it's worth, congratulations. Hopefully your child is a bit more behaved than you are," McGreggor mused. At the look Jack gave him next, he started laughing.

"Thanks," Jack said dryly to get more laughter. "If it wasn't for her, I'd have nothing to do with you mortal folk. You all drop like flies to me. But, despite all of that...I don't know what I'd do if I lost her. At least...with a child from her..."

"A part of her would still be alive. Even from Kaitlin," McGreggor said with understanding.

"Yes," Jack nodded. The master smith was a bit surprised at this change in Jack. _It was a side of him that was clearly a bit human._  It had him wondering.  _Even with that dangerous staff of ice and wood on his back, Jack was showing human emotions for a normal girl that was touched with his magic. And it was a simple prank at that._ Now he had to wonder if it was something with the stars or alignment. But, he was no astronomer.

"Tell me. Do you plan to bury her if she's gone?" he asked.

"Not...right away..." Jack muttered. That thought actually hurt him. Any talk of Jenna passing on sparked a raw, unbridled fury of emotion in him. In a slow, dangerous tone he said, "I don't want to think of that right now."

"Right," McGreggor agreed fully. Jack took in a deep breath for control and slowly let it out. His breath actually misted over in full from the violent emotion he controlled. He couldn't stay around the town anymore. His mind was in turmoil, and he had to vent the raw emotion out. He vanished into the wind that embraced him and he scouted the area. When he came upon a raiding party that was not part of his allied raiders, he let his fury unleash on them.  _They were getting too close to my protected village, anyways. Such a thing was not allowed._

"Jenna will not die!" he growled out, as his icy wind wreaked havoc on the brutes below him. The men screamed, as the ice demon they heard rumors about was showing off an anger of unbridled proportions. Within ten minutes, the air was quiet of screams. But, Jack wasn't done.

He landed and silently moved through the chaotic grounds he caused. He went up to the leader of the small group. The man was half-frozen. There was only one word that was uttered. "Demon!"

"To you," Jack smirked. "What are you doing so far from home?"

"Rumors of you...a treasure..."

"There is no treasure," Jack said slowly. "Your gift for meeting me is death. So, in a sense, you do get a treasure. To meet whatever fate reaches you when you're done here."

"My family..." the man grimaced. At this, Jack paused in his attack.

"A family? How many children?"

"Four."

"And your wife?"

"Alone. We raid to survive. We thought...finding you...would help us..."

"Okay. You have peaked my interest. You could have sent a neutral trader to my village in question, you know. It would have made things different. These men. Did they have families?"

"No. Hired men. Just me..." the man seemed to whimper.  _There was truth in his words._

"Where do you live?" Jack asked now.

"East and then north by four days," he replied. Jack mused to himself, grabbed the man by his half-frozen waist, and transported him to where he said. When he saw the village, he saw why they raided.  _The village was on its last legs of survival._

"I'll let you live, but only if you vow to turn your life around. I can assist you with this village to an extent. I can make it part of a trade route. But, you have to stop raiding. Agreed?" Jack asked.

"Ah! Yes! I do!" the man cringed from the pain of freezing he was going through. Jack nodded, had the man try to tell him where he lived, and he made a personal visit to the somber home to deliver the man off to his wife. Jack took one look at the woman that answered the poorly made door and thought.

"Your husband tried to make a raid on a village that I was protecting. Instead of coming over peacefully, he tried to use force. He vowed not to do so again. In exchange, I will assist your village in becoming prosperous again. Or, if a town meeting is held, you abandon this place and can merge with the village I protect. I'll give you enough food and drink for two nights. I'll return to hear the answer from this village. He needs to thaw, but he'll live. The other men that were with him are dead," Jack said.

"Thank you...for letting him live..." the woman whispered.

"If he reforms, I'll ensure he lives longer. Warm him up and feed him. In fact, hold on," Jack said and left the man in the home with his family. He did a quick scouting with his wind and was able to gather up where a surplus of food and survival equipment was that wouldn't be missed. This was now delivered to the family. "There. I'll be back in two days to see if this town wants to prosper or relocate."

"Thank you! You are no ice demon!" the woman said, as she broke down into tears of gratitude.

"I am only a demon to those that cross me. Don't do that to me, and everything is fine," Jack nodded.  _The man would recover._  Now that most of his temper was gone, he was able to return to Jenna's side. But, he did snatch up a roasted ham for her. He knew she would want that.

When he got back to her side, she beamed at what he brought her. Clifton was now out checking traps to ensure that lean meats would be available for her. He felt the need to do it. He didn't know that Jack had instilled an instinctive drive to keep any special pregnancy safe. Even Jack didn't know that he did it. Jack would have been quite amused, if he knew what happened.

He glanced over at Marigold to find her sleeping.  _No one else was there._ Jenna made her way to his side after the ham began to bake in honey, and she hugged him tightly to her. "He left a moment ago. He wanted to see about what the traps held. Jarlin usually checks them for us, but he wanted to."

"That's fine. Jenna...I just have to ask. Is this really what you want?" he asked.

"Jack...you know it is. It's what you want, too," she said with a soft smile. He could only smile back and nod slightly. "And is everything all right with you?"

"Hmm?"

"You were gone for a while."

"Oh. I sensed a disturbance. We may be getting some new townsfolk," he said. Now he relayed the whole story of what happened. She was shocked. "So, in two days, I will go and see what that town wants. No more raids. I refuse to see that happen."

"Especially now, right?" she asked.

"Yes. Especially now," he nodded sternly. "However...McGreggor sort of...oh...guessed on what was going on between us. He vowed his secrecy. And, he wants to become the sole protector of our child. He insisted on it."

"He knows...that this child is...?" she paled.

"Yes. He does," Jack nodded again. "But, he will say nothing."

"Okay," she nodded back and seemed to tremble. He hugged her tight.

"He's not blind. He saw how we are together. He made the connection and said something after Clifton left. Not much else to say," he muttered. "But, he wants to protect our child."

"I'm fine with that," she said and let him rock her. "I should have been yours since the beginning. Even you know this."

"I know. And, if you being pregnant with my child is the only way to keep you immune to me in full..." he thought with a form of amusement. "There may have been no need of..."

"I love all of my children, but even he was needed to make Kaitlin for you," she sighed.

"I know that. I was just thinking of other ways. I just...we could have avoided this, if I tried to be with you directly. But..."

"We didn't know," she mumbled in his chest.

"And this effect may be temporary," he sighed.

"I'm fine with this," she chuckled. He found himself smiling, and a kiss was pressed to her mouth. He noticed that the white wolf had moved to place himself neatly in Marigold's view to distract her. _That meant that Marigold was awake._  Now Jack had to wonder if they were overheard.

"Stay here," he whispered. She frowned, but she nodded. When he walked over to Marigold, he made it seem like he was checking on her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," the girl smiled. He noticed that she seemed nervous.

"Okay. How much did you overhear?" he asked now.

"Oh..." she frowned and shivered.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know," he said gently.

"Most of it," she admitted. "And, I'm glad that you went ahead to let her be with Clifton. So that I would have Jarlin. If you didn't..."

"That thought right there makes me just as glad that it turned out this way. Keep our secret safe, and I'll ensure that you keep having the best life with Jarlin as possible," Jack vowed.

"I can promise that," she agreed. He chuckled and got up to head back to Jenna. He whispered softly to her, and Jenna gave a heavy sigh.

"I was so happy at first, but now I'm worried," Jenna whispered.

"No reason to be," Jack soothed and kissed her intensely. "I won't let anything happen to you. If anyone tries to hurt you, they have to go through me. And them."

"Them?" she asked. He gestured to the wolves. That had her smile. "I see."

"So don't worry. I'm stuck with you. Whether I like or not. And I'm saying it that way, since you want me stuck to you," he grinned. She found herself blushing, and he kissed her again. "Go back to cooking. Everything is fine."

She nodded and got squeezed again before being let go. When he glanced over at Marigold, he actually found her smiling at the whole thing. He chuckled and found a place to sit down and watch the room calmly in his own sentry-like way.


	26. Chapter 26

A month had passed. The town ended up adopting in the poorer citizens, and many of the new ones were quite skilled in various trades. They simply didn't have the resources needed to work properly. Now the small village began to expand and grow into a bustling town. Jack still kept Jenna's home clear of all of it, though. He didn't want any of her old landscapes to change. She was also pregnant with his child. Her illness over the past couple weeks had confirmed it.

Since she was immune to the cold again, she was able to do a lot more outdoor work. But, it was only until her overprotective husband caught her and forced her back into the house. Jack didn't mind it, but Clifton was taking no chances.

"But, the sheep need to be fed!" she frowned.

"And I have it taken care of. Go relax," he ordered. When he left the small cabin to see to the sheep, she gave an irritable sigh.

"He's like this every time..." she muttered. Jack simply chuckled at her.

"Yes, I know. In a sense, I would be, too. But, only on the more strenuous chores," Jack smiled.

"You would think so," she said. "Feeding sheep should be no problem."

"And horses, too," he said. She could only nod at that.

"Why didn't I just belong to you, Jack?" she whispered. As much as he wanted to get up and hold her, he knew that Clifton was just outside.

"You know why," he said softly.

"I'm wondering now," she said. "If the first time we tried...if it made it so that only you could be with me after this."

"It may be possible. What more do we know? I've never done this before. I never bothered to."

"Would you do this with any others?"

"No. For making a future bride, then yes. But not like this. I can't. I don't want anyone else to be the mother of any children I make until a destined bride appears. I just can't do it."

"Okay," she trembled.  _Her hormones were acting up._  This gave him the excuse he needed to get up and give her the hug she desperately needed. She pressed into him and took in a deep breath for control. He squeezed her and checked the wind to see how Clifton was.

"Ah. He's fixing up the heating pen for the pigs. That will take some time. As much as I'd make it longer, I really shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Because, if I suddenly need to leave, he's going to need to be here for you," he said gently. She could only nod at that. "But, that doesn't mean I can't have a bit of fun with him!"

She blushed at that, and he took up his staff to blow on it. A chilling wind went right out the window. At the sudden swearing heard, Jenna burst into small giggles. When Clifton stormed in, he paused at her impish smile. "Did you have him do that?!"

"No. She was feeling distressed, and I wanted to cheer her up," Jack chuckled. Clifton sighed, shook his head with a mutter, and went back outside.

"Don't do it again!" he said, as he closed the door.

"I'll wait five minutes," Jack smirked. Jenna just shook her head and pulled his head down to kiss fiercely. He knew he wanted her, but it was just too risky to do so just yet.

"When he's away," she mumbled and kissed him again.

"I know," he growled and forced himself to back down. "He's coming back in."

"I don't care," she shivered, but it wasn't from the cold.

"Later," he promised. She could only nod and go back to preparing their supper. "By the way, Loo Chon wants to get married by next week."

"Does he?" she smiled. He was purposely changing the subject when Clifton came in.

"What's this now?" Clifton asked.

"Loo Chon wants to get married to Kaitlin. It's true that she's a couple years younger than normal, but he believes that it's time. Even if they don't create children right now, he wants to start playing the part. She's ready to move in with him, too," Jack said.

"And how do you know this?" Jenna asked.

"I just heard them talking about it. Jarlin is asking about his own place, too. Timothy, as well. The children want to leave the nest and branch out. Not too far, though. Even they want to see what their new brother or sister will be," he chuckled. Clifton could only chuckle back. "I do have a question for you. Since she's immune to me, for some odd reason, is she cold to you?"

"Come to think of it, no. She's just fine," Clifton seemed to shrug. "I keep getting the thought that this one is different. Almost like Kaitlin, but..."

"Clifton! There you are!" McGreggor said when he trudged in. "We got an influx of orders at the forge. I need your help."

"Oh? All right. You'll be fine, Jenna?" Clifton asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine," she beamed at him. Jack could only breathe a sigh of relief at the master smith's sudden appearance.  _I do_ not  _want to talk about Jenna's pregnancy right now!_ When the two of them left, he made sure they were a good distance away. Then he turned and pulled Jenna to him.

"An hour," he muttered and kissed her in a branding way.

"Just one?" she asked and groaned when he loosened the strings on her bodice.

"Yeah," he grunted out with impatience.  _It was taking too long._ Another precious five minutes passed before he felt her warmth. He gave out a sharp cry when he lost himself in her. At her heightened cry, he felt his body spasm. He was still gasping for air when he finally began to recall where he was.

"Jack..." she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I want to know...that if...something happened to Clifton...not that I want anything to..."

"My love, you know that  _if_  something happens to him, I'd right there at your side. I'll ensure he lives for as long as possible. His children do need him. If he goes before you, I will ensure you are never alone," he vowed. "Don't even think about that outcome right now."

"Okay," she smiled and let him kiss her thoroughly.

"He's almost done. We need to dress," he said lightly. "I'm just glad that Marigold is at the forge today, too. Jarlin has her working with some strength tests to rebuild the muscle she lost. She really needs it. However, we have to dress now."

"I know," she smiled. He helped her up and was only elated that he could actually hold hands with her now. As much as she could be his bride right now, he knew this effect may be only temporary.  _I need a bride that is permanently immune to me._ The knowledge fully stung. He also knew that Jenna wasn't immortal. Something told him that the bride destined for him would be fully immortal. "Jack? Is something wrong?"

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered and hugged her tightly to him. "I won't be able to bear it. I know I won't. I'll try and cope for a while, but..."

"How do you plan to tend to me?" she asked.

"Encase you in ice."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I likely...wouldn't be able to...bury you properly...until..."

"Hush," she whispered and hugged him back. "I know, Jack. All too well, I know this."

"Would you feel bad...if I sort of...shrined you...?"

"As long as you buried me after your bride was born."

"I know I would," he muttered.

"We always talk about this," she frowned and moved a hand through his hair.

"I know we do. It's because I care too much about you," he admitted. "Anyways, you may as well start cooking something. Clifton's almost here."

"Of course," she smiled. He kissed her and moved to settle in a chair. When she began to grumble, he listened in. Then he mused to himself.

"I'll pick some cheese up for you in a moment. Maybe after Clifton gets here," he said. Now she blushed at him. "You should know that I always overhear what you say."

"How could I forget?" she murmured. He cringed with desire at the tone she used. She gave a soft chuckle, but she went to carving up the ham he brought her. Then she had an idea and moved outside to grab a couple elk steaks. When she came back in, it was with a scowling Clifton.

"I don't want you going outside!" he said.

"I just wanted to get one or two of the long steaks," she sighed. "I had an idea on a new dish."

"You should be able to get them," McGreggor chuckled. "And, Clifton, don't be so hard on her. I can understand her going into the woods and such, but around the home should be no trouble."

"I just..." Clifton grumbled and seemed to pout at his master's glare. "Fine. I'll be more lenient with her around the home."

"Good. And, if he goes back on his word, you tell me!" McGreggor said to Jack.

"I'll do so with glee!" Jack grinned. Clifton gave Jack a dirty look, but he let Jenna go back outside to get the desired steaks she wanted. Then she moved them close to the fire to let them thaw a touch. The steaks were in the cold storage, so they were quite frozen. As this was happening, Jack asked, "So, what's going on? Anything I need to know about?"

"Some of the foresting needs to be cut back for new town growth," McGreggor said. "They want to move out this way, too."

"Ah, no. Jenna's land is to remain untouched," he said calmly. "You can easily expand north or south. I know this for a fact. The land around her place can just barely support this home. There is too much rock underneath for tilling. The grass that grows is just enough of the sheep here. It isn't good for suitable crops. Even past your smithy, the land is no good for building or farming."

"That's odd, then. Why are they saying that the town needs to be moved east?" the master smith frowned in thought. At the small sensation of displeasure given from Jack, it was only too obvious that he was going to find out.

"Give me a few minutes," Jack muttered and rose up smoothly from the rime-coated chair. Once he was out of the small home and hovering in the air, he began to listen for anything rather intensely. When he located who was talking about moving the town eastward, he homed in on the speaker. The man seemed to be standing on a box and calling out his reasons to the listening crowd. When Jack appeared, the crowd of people hushed in awe and backed away. He was seen at random here and there, so quite a few of the villagers knew who he was. "The lands south and north are perfect for building the town. Why do you insist on moving eastward?"

"You see?!" the man said and pointed at Jack. "This creature is keeping us from expanding!"

"Me? A creature?" Jack said and broke down into laughter. "Oh, you are pathetic! Have you looked at your reflection lately? Past Jenna's household, there is no other land. Trust me. I know this."

"He is right," another man said in response to Jack. "The land is too rocky."

"Exactly," Jack nodded. "South and north have perfectly fertile lands for cattle, building structures, and crops. I know this for a true fact. And past McGreggor's smithy is also not feasible. I think you just want to relocate Jenna's family, because you, yourself, desire where she lives. Don't you?"

The man's jaw dropped for a moment. That revealed his guilt in full. Then he said, "Such lies he speaks! I tell you! Lies!"

"I'm not hearing this anymore!" an older man said. "Old Man Winter's never lied to us! He protects us, too! I'm listening to him. Even I've noticed the land looks better north than south, too."

When the crowd dispersed to start plans to expand north, Jack gave an icy glare at the thin man on the box. He looked like he was in his early-forties and sported a brown beard. His green eyes were wide with disbelief that he was slighted like this. He was a trusted member of the town's council for quite some time from his father being on it. After this, his father would likely look down on him mildly, as well as the rest of the townsfolk. Now he was shaking and glanced down nervously at Jack's unblinking, icy glare.

"I think we need to talk. Privately," Jack seemed to smirk. When the air began to get colder, the man's teeth began to chatter. "Why do you want Jenna's family to move? There is no treasure there. Ah. Wait. I know you now. The beard hid you well. You're John. Aren't you?"

"Um..." he trembled.

"You are! You're the one that dared Jenna to go out into that snowstorm! Let me guess. You took a liking to her, she turned you down, and you've been trying to get at her ever since. Right?" Jack chuckled coldly. "I bet you were rather hopeful that she would die in the snowstorm, too..."

"I never wanted her to die! I just..." he started. Then he cringed at the wide-eyed look of mirth that he was given now.

"So...you knew she would suffer through it. Didn't you?" Jack mused. "What were you trying to prove that night? What were you attempting to do that would have prompted you to make such a dare? Did you know that she almost went home? That she wouldn't have cared about the teasing that happened? But, instead of berating you, I will thank you for making that dare. Because, if you didn't, I wouldn't have been able to fully appear in her life. Clifton wouldn't have become married to her and given her children. Oh, yes. I have so much to thank you for..."

"Um...you're welcome?" John shivered, as the air got colder.

"In fact, I dare you right now. To go up to Jenna and apologize for daring her. For after all these years of doing that to her. Since you didn't even bother to," Jack said calmly. "And, I further dare you to stand still when Clifton punches you in the face. You ran off to hide when he went searching for you before. You want to run off right now, don't you?"

"Uh..." he hesitated.

"And, if you don't accept my dare like she did to yours..." Jack grinned wickedly now. "you will pay the consequences from me. I will make you go through what she suffered that night. And I won't be there to help you. I'll give you one hour to make your decision. I suggest...either right or wrong. It doesn't matter to me."

"Ah...!" John seemed to whimper, as the cold seeped through the heavy furs he wore.

"In the end...I always win!" Jack said with a bone-chilling grin. "Choose your fate however you like. You will get a form of justice in the end!"

When Jack simply disappeared in front of him with a heavy gust of wind, John found himself panicking. _If I went out into the woods, I'm sure to die. The safest bet was to apologize to Jenna after all these years. Then, maybe if I survived it, I'll move away._  He still lived in the family home, and he made his way back to it. Jack watched calmly and snickered at how his aging father simply ignored him and steadied himself on his oak cane.  _He warned his foolish son not to do anything. He had to earn his father's respect back._

When John was able to calm down his nerves, he walked out of the house. Right after he left, Jack appeared to approach the stern father. The older man looked over with a touch of surprise. He ran a hand over his trimmed, graying brown beard and asked, "And to what...honor...do I get from your visit?"

"A good question. Did you hear the conversation I had with John?" Jack asked calmly.

"No. My hearing isn't that good anymore," he sighed. Jack had made sure to keep his chilling aura down.  _Cold weather wouldn't do this man any good._

"Allow me to explain," Jack nodded. For five minutes he relayed the conversation. The older man was both amused and dismayed.

"If he accepts a bruised eye, I'll see him as trustworthy again. If he comes home on a stretcher...well...I'll grieve in my own way," he said with a mild mutter.

"He's on his way to get a bruised face right now. The stretcher may only be needed if he can't see straight," Jack chuckled. At that, the older man seemed to sigh with relief.

"He is my only child. My wife...passed on a few years back. I was hoping he would find a girl of his own. He's just...stubborn," he mumbled. "I warned him on this."

"If he learns from this, I can possibly help him find one to be at his side. It's what I did for Jenna's kids. I don't mind helping you, if you can keep him in line," Jack shrugged. At this news, the man turned to look at him with a touch of hopefulness. "You help me out, I'll help you out."

"Done!" the man nodded. "Do what you can for him."

"We have an agreement!" Jack chuckled and was gone soon after. As the elder man could only retain hopeful thoughts on his son finally getting wed, Jack was at Jenna's place to explain the issue.

"Very interesting. So, the one who sought to harm Jenna was the one causing the issues?" McGreggor frowned. Clifton was already steeling himself to punch his old friend's face in. Jenna could only sigh and shake her head.

"And you'll love this. If he lives through this moment, his father wants me to find him a woman!" Jack chortled. Clifton's jaw dropped. McGreggor laughed and slapped his knee.

"Well, I hope he treats her better than he could have possibly treated me! And he liked me?! All I got was nasty glances and rude comments from him," Jenna sighed.

"Oh, I know it. There were a couple of times I chilled his chair seat over when he tried to get really nasty with you, too," Jack chuckled. That got Clifton laughing. "Sometimes, when one tries to show that they are interested in another, they bully them. It's something they tend to do. I always enjoy bullying them back. It's a natural talent for me."

"As we know," McGreggor snorted. Jack chuckled again and looked over when the door knocked. The two wolves growled, but that was all they did. When Clifton answered the door, he gave a rather stern glare at John.

"Hi. Um...I came to apologize to Jenna," the bearded man cringed.

"After all these years? Humph! Why bother with it? We know it was you causing all the problems for us to move. What do you want now?" Clifton grounded out.

"Look, I know I was a moron for what I did. I just...didn't want to face the consequences. I was told that, if I didn't apologize, I would be spending the night in the forest. I don't want to freeze to death!" John grimaced. "So...it's easier to just...come here."

"Sure it is," Clifton grunted.

"Just let him apologize to me and be done with it," Jenna said. "I have enough going now, anyways. John, good to see you. Did you have something to tell me?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for the dare."

"I accept the apology. Please go about your day," she said with a small nod. Jack wasn't too pleased with this outcome, but he knew that she was pregnant and trying to be polite. When Jarlin appeared with Marigold, he walked past John with an odd look.

"Who's he?" he muttered to his father. "I mean...I know he's a village council member..."

"Someone that almost killed your mother over a dare long ago," Clifton snorted. Now Jarlin froze with shock. "Oh. That's right! I never told any of you."

"Mom?!" Jarlin asked.

"Really, Clifton?" she asked her husband. At his small nod, she sighed. "Get your sisters here. We may as well have a group discussion."

"I'll get them," Jack said and quickly left.

"You'd better hide," McGreggor smirked at John.

"No. I'm done hiding," he said with a shake of his head. That had Clifton raise a brow, but he did nothing else. Within ten minutes, the room was filled with the young couples. Timothy clearly didn't look very happy about it. Marla was simply overly concerned for her mother. Even Kaitlin showed worry signs, as Loo Chon kept an arm around her.

"When your mother was fourteen, John dared her to pull an all-nighter in a fierce snowstorm one night long ago," Jack said calmly. "I found her near death and saved her life."

"I know you told us that it's how you found her, but it was because of him?!" Jarlin said angrily and pointed at John. Jack rose up his hands calmly.

"You should be thanking him, in all actuality. If it wasn't for that dare, none of you would be here," Jack said with a small smile.

"I'm not thanking him," Jarlin grumbled. As much as Marigold was showing appreciation for it, she knew how it was with the others. Even Loo Chon was showing his mistrust of the whole thing. He valued Kaitlin's family.

"Now, a question for you all," Jack said with wider smile. "His father wants me to find him a woman. For him to marry. What kind of woman do you think he should get?"

"Wait, what?!" John gaped.

"Get him one that can order him around," Loo Chon said.

"Um..." John blinked.

"He needs the discipline," Timothy added. Clifton was grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll find someone with that guideline," Jack nodded.

"Yeah, he needs someone with a backbone," Jarlin nodded.

"But, it must be an equal partnership, too," Marla said.

"I can agree with that!" Kaitlin giggled. John moped now. His fate was sealed. He was acting very much like a troubled teenager despite his age. And this was his main problem. He was sheltered under the wing of his father for so long that he didn't have the adult skills he needed to grow up properly in a mental way. Now he simply had no choice.

"I'll start looking for someone for him tomorrow. I know! I can check out the northern village where Blently came from. Horath, his father, may have an idea. I'll pay him a visit first thing. John, you can go home now. Your father is likely expecting you. And, ah, shave off the beard. Or at least groom it. You look like a rogue with it. I'm sure you want to look somewhat attractive for the new girl in your life. Right?" Jack smirked. John could only nod and sigh, as he left.

McGreggor and Clifton had to go back to the forge after that. The other three couples dispersed to do what they needed to do around the village. Jack judged that a couple hours were all that he and Jenna had together. On looking at him with a soft smile, she said, "I love you, Jack."

"I love you, too, Jenna. More than I can ever admit," he muttered and pulled her close to kiss passionately to prove his point.


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning had Jack knocking on Horath's door. The older man answered it with a look of surprise. "Oh! Is something wrong?"

"No! Not at all. I just need some assistance," Jack said and was let in.

"How's my boy at the forge?"

"He's good! He finally decided to start listening to instructions. If he does well enough, I agreed to help him find a girl to marry. Speaking of girls, I need to find another for someone else. But, I need one that knows how to instill discipline when needed," Jack grinned. "Do you know of anyone?"

"Would age matter?" Horath asked.

"Well, the man is a bit late in life. I think an older girl would be good."

"I think I know who," Horath said with a wicked grin. "Murda! Is your sister still single?"

"Oh. Um..." the large woman walked over. Jack was very impressed at how she looked now. She seemed to look healthier, too. "I dunno if Ophelia wants marriage. She seems ta be happy as she is."

"What does she do?" Jack asked.

"She lives alone a town away. She has a small garden and enjoys her solitude. I send her a little money when I can ta help her get by. She does very well," Murda said.

"And, if anyone tries to bully her, she bullies right back," Horath snorted.

"She's perfect. Where is she?" Jack asked.

"Now hold on!" Murda said. "I want ta meet this one first!"

"Do you? Hmm. That could be arranged," Jack mused.

"Good!" she nodded and went to start setting a table for company. Jack took this time to head back to the village to find John. The man had just trimmed his beard down. Just by doing that gave a distinctive change to his looks.

"I need to escort you somewhere. To meet with the family that you could be marrying into. No, the girl in mind isn't there yet. The family members just want to talk to you. So, put on your best dress and we'll go," Jack said. John seemed to pause at this news, but he did as Jack suggested.

"Okay, I'm ready," he said and stood before him. He was clearly dressed in his finest fur cloak and cotton finery of darker tones and textures. Jack seemed to nod. _He would appear to be fully acceptable as a proper husband._

"Don't let the cold get to you too much. Just close your eyes," Jack advised. John nodded and grimaced at the sudden barrage of freezing wind that swept around him. When he opened his eyes, he was stunned at the different setting he was in. At the sight of the couple before him, he bowed lightly.

"Hello. My name is John," he said with a small smile.

"He's got manners!" Murda grinned. "I like this one!"

"Easy, Murda," Horath chuckled. "You may work for her sister. She's an older girl that lives alone. But, eh, she's not one for company most of the time."

"Oh..." John frowned. "Well..."

"I'm sure she'll warm up to you. I'll talk to her first," Jack chuckled. That got Horath laughing. Murda was indecisive on that one, but she knew how her sister would react if she felt threatened. "Just wait here. Where is she?"

"Five miles south near the cove. Tell her that we send our regards. It will show that we know you," Horath smirked. Jack nodded and walked outside to vanish away into his wind. What he found was a pleasant cottage that overlooked a picturesque seaside cliff. A small vegetable garden was along the side of the house, and a small pathway made of crushed beach rock led up to it. At the willowy woman that walked out with her hair up in a neat bun, Jack found himself grinning.  _She looked like a near-exact image of Murda, but much thinner._  Now he wondered if the women were twins. _If Murda dropped the weight, the girls would be mirror images._

As much as she looked weak, he noticed a strong sense of self determination in her. _It was time to talk to her._ He walked up to the small cottage calmly, but he kept his cold away from harming her garden. It seemed to be all she had to survive.

"Who are you?!" she demanded to know the moment she saw him.

"Someone who may be able to help you get some companionship. Not with me. But, with another that I know of," Jack chuckled. "Murda and Horath send their regards."

"Oh," she seemed to grimace. "Well, if they sent you, then you're no threat. They've been trying to get me a husband for so long. It's disgraceful!"

"Well, what do you wish for in a husband?" Jack asked and leaned on his staff of wood and ice.

"Someone that understands how to respect another when it's due!" she seemed to grumble out. "If this man can even respond properly to a conversation, then that's a bonus."

"I know just the one. Do you want to meet him? His father is a respected council member in the village he resides in. So, this one does know manners. As well as his place."

"You make it sound too good to be true. What did Murda think of him?"

"She liked him. He knew his manners."

"Oh. She never says that!" Ophelia blinked. Jack never bothered to look at details on a person, but her bluish-brown eyes were clearly of an odd variety. Murda had the exact same ones.  _They had to be identical twins now._

"Is Murda your twin?" Jack asked.

"Ah. Yes, she is. I was born first. Not many recognize it from...well...obvious reasons. I did hear that she was doing better, though. I was a touch concerned for a while," she admitted.

"She sort of had to for her son. He's in the blacksmith trade now."

"He is?! Well, that's a good change. She didn't tell me that."

"He's been in the trade for some time. He shed off a lot of weight. So did Murda. She's moving a lot faster now. Most of the problem was her recipes. Too much sugar."

"I told her that, too, but she didn't believe me. Well, in light of things, I suppose I can take a look at this man. I won't be lenient, though," she said.

"I don't want you to be lenient," Jack grinned. That got her chuckling. "He was a bit of a troublemaker in his youth. He needs the discipline."

"Bring him to me. I'll see what he needs," she nodded. "Also, I don't plan for him to stay with me. He'll need his own place to stay. There is a small town about a mile off that has an inn. He can stay there. I'm a very private person."

"That's fine. I'll tell Murda," Jack nodded.

"And...exactly who are you?" she asked. "I never got your name."

"You can call me Jack," he chuckled. "I was told that your name is Ophelia."

"You are correct," she nodded. It was now that she noticed the staff he was leaning on. And she just noticed how the ground was slowly being covered with frost and rime. At his small grin, he simply seemed to shrug. Then he vanished away in a cold breeze. That actually unnerved her a little, but she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to refocus.

When Jack appeared outside Horath's door, he was ushered inside. At the anxious looks from all three adults, he chuckled. "Yes, she'll meet with him. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," John nodded. "Um, where will I stay?"

"You can reside at an inn near her," Jack said.

"I know where it is. I can set up a month tab," Horath said with a small nod. Jack nodded back, grabbed John by his shoulders, and wasted no time. When he got there, Ophelia was harvesting the vegetables that were ripe. When she glanced over, she actually paused at the sight of John. Jack hid his wide grin. _She was blushing. Likely for the first time in her life._ "Hello! I'm John. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

"I am Ophelia..." she said softly. She was simply stunning to him.

"I'll let the two of you talk. I'm sure you'll show him the town?" Jack asked.

"Yes..." she said and nodded slightly. Jack vanished away after that and found himself standing in the main room where John's father was.

"Yes?" the man asked.

"Your son may be married within the month," Jack grinned. The older man was floored by this news. "We'll know by next week."

"Please inform me!" he said. Jack nodded and vanished away after that bit of news was delivered. His next stop was Jenna's house to report. She was laughing at this now.

"For being such a stern woman, she seemed to become rather...soft. It was funny," Jack chuckled and hugged her to him. She seemed to sigh with relief at his chilling touch. "I was thinking of making a scouting team. With all the bandits moving going about, it may be needed."

"You think so?" she asked.

"I do. I think they'll be good for each other. I'll give them a week. We'll see what happens in that amount of time," Jack smiled. At the kiss they shared next, he checked the wind. "Hmm. Clifton is in the blacksmith shop. Jarlin is checking traps for him. Marla is at the jewelry shop. The others are busy working with what trades they need. Kaitlin is helping Loo Chon with some fishing. We have a good couple hours. What do you want to do?"

"Do you really have to ask that question?" she grinned and at his mischievous chuckle. Just as he began to get intimate, he paused and seemed to glare at the window when it opened. The wolves were glanced at, and they both darted outside. "Something wrong?"

"Yes. McGreggor. I didn't check for him. He's on his way here," he growled. "The wolves will mildly delay him. Freshen yourself up. Even if he knows about us, I don't want him to see it."

"I know," she smiled and got kissed again. "Let's see what he wants."

"Yes. And you need to eat something," he said. "I'll bring you a ham."

"Please do!" she beamed. The two pigs just outside were snoozing deeply next to the warm heater in their enclosure. They enjoyed the mushrooms that were mixed into their mash. Jack was quick to leave and return just as swiftly. At the size of the ham he brought, Jenna stammered and wondered if it would fit on the spit. As she worked with the ham, Jack let McGreggor in with a small wave.

"I take it that John was accepted? Clifton told me quite a bit," the man said and sat down. At the sight of the massive ham, he now planned to stop by for dinner.

"Yes. Apparently, the woman involved was Murda's older twin sister. Identical twin sister," Jack chuckled. That got McGreggor laughing softly. "Much thinner, of course, but has a slightly strict disciplinary manner. I think that sort of vanished when the two saw each other, though. I don't think she ever blushed in her life until he showed up."

"Very interesting," the master smith chuckled. "When do the pigs start breeding out?"

"About half a year," Jack said. "They seem to be about three months along now. They can have quite a few litters a year, too."

"That fast?" Jenna blinked. "I didn't know that!"

"Yes. And they can have up to six young at a time. Sometimes more," Jack grinned softly.

"Six at a time? Several litters a year? Oh, dear. I'll need a larger plot of land!" Jenna seemed to sigh. McGreggor only laughed at this. Jack was nodding with agreement.

"I'm sure other villagers will happily take a couple breeding pairs away. It's a new way to provide food for us. I'll help out for as long as I'm able," the master smith said.

"I figured you would," Jack seemed to snicker. "Various pieces of their meat can be cooked in a variety of ways. Ah! Jenna, you have a shallow pan, right? For frying?"

"Well...with a little oil, I can," she nodded. He got up and vanished away. A moment later, he came back with some odd, thin strips of meat.

"This is from their belly. You fry it up with a little bit of oil, but not too much, since it's naturally fatty. The fat this meat makes is good for cooking. But, when it's crisped up, it's supposed to taste very good. You may not even need the oil. Just the pan. Many eat this in the morning now," Jack said and handed over the small bundle of thin meat strips. She blinked at the odd meat, but she had a pan heating up soon after. At the smell it began to give off, as it cooked and fried, McGreggor cleared his throat to keep himself from going over to start sampling it.

"You know I'll be coming over for meals more often, right?" the master smith grinned.

"I'm sure of it!" Jenna laughed and flipped the meat over to cook on the other side. A spare jar was placed to catch the grease to use in other cooking recipes, and the meat was placed on a small tray to cool off. At the taste of it, she was simply beaming.

"Too bad you can't eat this," McGreggor chuckled after sampling his piece.

"I'm fine," Jack seemed to shrug. "Never need to eat. It does smell good, though!"

"I'd ask you to take this to Clifton, but I think you might eat it," Jenna grinned at the older man. "Jack, can you deliver this to Clifton and the kids?"

"Sure!" he chuckled and took up the cooked meat strips. Of course, this destroyed any thoughts of having private time with Jenna. The small cottage was now filled with family members that were ready to eat any more of the cooked meat delicacy, and her daughters were helping with the massive ham. Jack only sighed a touch softly to himself, but he also chuckled. _It was addictive to have such a large gathering._ He was in a solitary state of mind for his whole life. On being with her, he now realized what he was actually missing.

"Jack?" Jenna whispered to him, as the others conversed.

"I never realized what I lacked until now," he muttered softly.

"What is that?" she asked.

"You," he said softly. She was able to keep herself from blushing. "I never had an experience like this. Being with a family. Being...accepted. As much as I want to leave it, I really don't. I'll protect you and this family for as long as possible."

"I know you will," she smiled gently. Their conversation was completely unnoticed with the massive ham being the main focal point in the room. When she looked over, she scowled. "Stop picking at it! It's not cooked all the way through!"

Jack started laughing at this and could only watch the scolding that happened. He was clearly enjoying himself, and he let the small family event continue unobstructed.


	28. Chapter 28

Three days had passed by calmly. It was time to check on John and Ophelia. Jack was finally able to be with Jenna in the early morning when everyone had left for their places of work. Everyone seemed to have staggered schedules up until now, and it was all based on the ham he brought her. She was working on the ham bone at long last to cube it up for the wolves, and Jack had helped her by freezing it and smashing it to pieces for her. The ham was so large that it easily lasted this long. He was now planning to bring her smaller ones to ensure everyone left faster.

"Thank you," she sighed and let the pieces thaw in a bowl by the fire.

"Of course," he chuckled and kissed her gently. "I need to look in on the possibly new couple."

"Do tell me how it goes," she chuckled back. He squeezed her, nodded to the protective wolves, and quickly left to see how everything was going. When he got there, he was a touch surprised. John was helping with the garden. When Jack showed up, John waved at him.

"Hello! How are you?" he asked.

"Not too bad. I see you're still alive in her care," Jack grinned.

"You could say that. We are slowly getting to know each other. It appears to be promising. I did find out that she tried to be with someone before. But...he beat her," John seemed to grumble. "I'm surprised that she told me this. But, it explains quite a bit."

"What is this?" Jack frowned. "Does her sister know?"

"No. This was quite a few years back when she was younger. She didn't say anything, because she didn't want to worry anyone about it."

"How bad was it?"

"She hid her face with her hair and some powders."

"Is this man still alive?"

"I am unsure."

"Okay. Tell me. When you spoke of this to her, what did she do?"

"She tensed up and changed the subject."

"She's still afraid of this man. He's alive," Jack muttered. "Let me speak with her."

"If she agrees to let you find him, I want to be the one to kill him," John grunted.

"Done!" Jack nodded and let John guide him into the cottage.

"John, did you harvest the lettuce? Oh..." Ophelia blinked at Jack.

"Hi. I was just checking in on you. And I learned of a very intricate secret," he said slowly.

"You...told him...?!" she gasped at John.

"I did. Because you still live in fear of that man. Jack can help us end it for good," John said.

"It's doubtful..." she started. Then she watched Jack walk over to where a couple bags of potatoes were. He picked the largest one up and let it ice over. Then he smashed it to pieces on the table.

"That will be the man's head when I'm done. Now...who is he?" Jack asked carefully. At how easily he crushed a raw potato, Ophelia was in complete shock. But, now she knew for a fact that it was finally going to end. She took a deep, steady breath and cleared her throat.

"He sends me letters. I had moved three times since he found me, and he keeps finding me," she said and moved to where a pile of discarded papers were. Jack narrowed his eyes and crouched by them. He picked up one of them and studied it. "He never includes where they come from. I always find them on my doorstep when I go out."

"That's fine. Where is the most recent one?" he asked.

"Here. It had arrived just a couple days ago. I found it on my way home after visiting with John to show him the town. I had kept it hidden from John," she said and nudged one with a dainty foot. He picked it up carefully and moved outside. John was shocked on hearing about the letter. It was shown to him, and he ground his teeth with rage.  _The letter was demanding a form of food or money payment to keep away for a month. It was now going to be the last letter ever sent to her from this particular man._  John was going to ensure it. Jack already had a plan.

"I have a way to find him. Give me an hour. Oh, do you know if he lived around here?" he asked casually. At her nod, he grinned. "Thanks."

"Remember! I want to kill him!" John said.

"No. You will have to stay here to protect her in case I flush him out," Jack said wisely. That got John to raise his brows. "At first, I said yes, but we must think reasonably. I have a friend that is really good with scents. He can help me find this obtrusive man."

"Ahh! I see," John grinned. He looked at Ophelia and whispered to her, "He has a couple wolves that are good at tracking things down."

"Oh?" she mused with a small smile. As John went back to helping with the crops, Jack was showing Jenna the letter. She was not happy with it.

"Threats to send money and food, or he would appear?" Jenna frowned.

"Apparently so," Jack sighed. "I was going to borrow one of the wolves to help track him down. By scent, you see? This letter is still quite fresh. Just a couple days old."

"Ahh! Yes. That's fine," she smiled.

"Okay. Which one of you wants to help me take out someone mean and nasty?" he asked with a small grin when he regarded the wolves. At this, the black wolf rose up and bared his teeth. The white one would stay to guard Jenna. This was proven when the white wolf flopped down on the floor, yawned, and stretched with a small tail thump of comfort.

"Be careful," she said. The black wolf nudged her hand and got a piece of pork fat. At the look the white wolf gave now, she laughed softly and gave over another piece for him. Jack smiled and nodded to the black wolf. The wolf braced himself and got transported with Jack. When they touched down around Ophelia's home, he gave over the parchment.

"Lead him to me, please," Jack muttered. The wolf snarled and bolted away from him after getting a lock. Jack was able to keep up easily. At the small, makeshift shack that was found, he made an interesting discovery.  _The man would simply pick up and move to follow Ophelia around. He would send her threats for money and supplies, since she was all he could go to. The man simply didn't like to work. Even better was how close the man was. John could help with this now. The man couldn't run anywhere._ Jack looked at the black wolf. "John. Get him."

The wolf huffed and bolted off. Five minutes later, he saw John jogging behind the wolf. Jack pointed to the shack, and the man was ready to charge in. "Where is the bastard?!"

"Not yet. Let's have some fun with him!" Jack grinned wickedly. "You have a warm coat?"

"I'm wearing it," John muttered. At the sight of Jack blowing on his staff to make a chilling breeze twirl around them, he realized that it wasn't enough. Jack focused now to make a pile of snow under his staff. Then he reached into the snow to pull out a fur.

"Wear that. It will help. With what I plan to do now, you will need it. And keep it, too," Jack nodded. John blinked at the excellent fur, and he fully agreed. The black wolf bristled, but remained motionless. _If the offending man was flushed out, the wolf would pin him down._  Jack mused to himself and called the wind back. Now he sent it through the home.

It seemed to rip out any available warmth in the tiny shack. At the swearing heard next, Jack gave a cold smile. John shivered, but not from the cold. He was just glad that he wasn't the brunt of Jack's cold anger. He was there once. He didn't want to be there again.

When the thin, wiry man charged out of the home, he paused at the sight of the wolf hunkered down and ready to leap onto him. John took this moment to study the pathetic person in front of him.  _He clearly never shaved. His hair was supposed to be brown, but it was thinning in places from lack of proper care for himself. The clothes he were also far too thin to keep him suitably warm. Then again, it was supposed to warmer weather now. Then there was the smell. The man hardly ever bathed._ John couldn't even tell what eye color the man had. _It looked like a muddy greenish brown color._ But, even John could tell that this man was quite the looker when he was in his prime.  _Now he was a shell._

Jack seemed to notice this, too, but it didn't faze him at all. He calmly walked up to stand next to the wolf. The beast was still ready to leap out the moment the order was given. Nothing needed to be said. The man knew that death had finally come for him. When he saw John step out of the swirling, icy mists, he thought he saw a bear at first. That was until the bear spoke out. "Can I punch him now?"

"No," Jack mused.

"For what?!" the man grimaced.

"Ophelia sends her regards," John growled. The wolf snarled and bared his teeth even more. At how the man's eyes widened, Jack looked completely calmed.

"Are you cold?" Jack asked slyly.

"Should I be?" the man shivered.

"Perhaps. Or...maybe you should be frozen..." Jack mused. "You see...Ophelia is now considered family. My family. If you mess with her, then you mess with me. This letter you sent her was very recent. A couple days old. I had just adopted her into my family a few days prior to this. So, with this little bit of evidence here, I can take you out."

"You have no proof that it came from me!" the man snapped.

"But, I do. This wolf tracked you. He's good at scents. Especially from those that don't bathe," Jack smirked. The man seemed to fluster up. "And you live so far off from the town that...if I killed you...no one would care..."

"I'm important!" the man argued.

"Really? Then why do you live in a filth pit and hound innocent women?!" John asked. Jack seemed to sigh, and he looked at the wolf.

"Hold him, please," he muttered. The wolf seemed to snort to show it would be done. "And make sure that John doesn't move an inch. I need to get someone."

"I wouldn't hurt him. Much," John muttered back. Jack chuckled and let the wind take him back to where Horath was. When he walked in, the man realized that something was up.

"Your sister-in-law had a very dire secret," Jack said with a grim look. When Murda walked over, she was very curious. "She tried to be with a man. He beat her. He has been following her around to this day. He sent her threat letters. I'm ready to kill him with John and one of my wolves."

"What?!" Horath gaped. Jack showed him the recent letter. At this, Horath got up, pulled down his axe from where it rested on the wall, and put on his armor. "Take me to this bastard! Now!"

"Horath!" Murda hissed.

"No. Ophelia is family. I protect family," he said sternly.

"Should I get Master McGreggor, too?" Jack mused.

"No. You let me handle this...thing!" Horath spat. Jack nodded with understanding. A nod to Murda was given, and he walked outside with the angry man. A quick travel in the cold winds soon had them both standing where John and the wolf were waiting. When Horath laid eyes on the simpering man, his gaze went to berserker blood red.

"Stay back," Jack muttered to John. "Look away, if you must. I think...Horath recognizes him..."

"I know you!" Horath hissed out. "You were the same one that tried to attack Murda! Ophelia's twin sister! And this was done in broad daylight in front of me! You ran off after striking her down for no reason! Finally, I shall have the one thing that I've always wanted. Your head on a pike!"

"What? She has a...?!" the man started. He clearly didn't realize that Ophelia had a twin sister. And he likely didn't realize that he had attacked the wrong one as part of a threat that went unnoticed long ago. It did make sense why Ophelia complied with the threats now.  _She was protecting her twin._ At the sight of Horath shouting his battle cry, the man did the only thing he could do. He charged at Horath in a last act of defiant rage. After that proved useless, and the man was laying there dying on the chilled ground, John was able to walk up to him.

"Why? For all these years? Why did you do it?" John had to ask.

"Why wouldn't I?" the man simply asked back as his response. Horath heard enough. Jack watched the axe come down to severe the man's head off.

"I'll take care of this," Jack chuckled.

"Where is Ophelia?" Horath asked.

"I'll take you back to her," John said, and they left. The wolf was already urinating around various spots to cover up a few scents.  _And to attract others._  Jack had easily frozen up and smashed what he could to let the wild animals take over. The small shack was quickly dismantled, but that was after he sorted through it. There really was nothing in there at all. But, he did come across one thing. Something that clearly didn't belong in the hovel at all. The small, palm-sized box was claimed, and the wolf was able to be transported with him to Ophelia's home. Of course, he arrived before John and Horath.

At the sight of the wolf stalking in, the woman paled with fright. At this, Jack chuckled and said, "Don't worry. He's a friend. He guards Jenna with his brother. We told you about him before. Anyways, he helped me find and corner the one that caused you so much worry for so long. It's over."

"It is?" she asked with a look of complete hope in her eyes. At this, he set the small box he found on her table. "That is...how?!"

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"I thought it was lost!" she said and moved to open the small lid. When it wouldn't open, she had to pry the small latch apart from all the rust. "The bastard! He told me it was gone! That he sold it!"

When John and Horath walked in, the wolf growled slightly in warning to keep back. The warning was respected in full, as they watched Ophelia take out the small necklace within it. It was fully tarnished over from being pure silver, and, as she studied it, she gave out a wrenching sob.

"Ophelia?!" John asked.

"The...bastard...!" she gasped and shook with rage. "This was...Mother's necklace! He took out...the...the gem in it!"

"What gem was it?" Jack asked.

"A diamond. I think..." she managed to say through her outburst of rage and tears. Jack sighed and gestured for the necklace. When she looked at him questionably, he smiled softly.

"I have a friend who is a master at jewelry restoration. I'll take care of this for you," he said. She nodded and gave over the fragile necklace.

"I remember that necklace," Horath winced. "The stone was not only a diamond. It was a pink one. A very rare stone, too."

"Really? How long ago was it missing?" Jack asked. John was able to move close to Ophelia and found himself hugging her to comfort her. Horath could only chuckle at that.

"It had been some time. Around ten years, I think," she shivered.

"Hmm. Well, I'll see what I can do. Give me a day. Horath, do you need a lift home?" Jack asked. At the nod given, they stepped outside with the wolf, and he found himself facing a rather concerned Murda. "Don't worry about the wolf. He's with me. Horath will fill you in."

"Oh!" Murda blinked at the black wolf. He snorted and looked at Jack. At the fond pat to the top of his head, they were soon gone and back at Jenna's small cottage. When he walked in, he found her in his arms with a sigh of relief at his cold touch.

"I need to talk to Dulfilo. A family heirloom was tampered with," he sighed. "I want to get this resolved quickly. The faster the better."

"I know," Jenna smiled and got kissed by him. "I could use another ham."

"Let me take care of this first," he chuckled. She nodded and got squeezed before he left again. The black wolf yawned, stretched, and flopped on the ground lazily. At the small dish of warmed, smashed up ham bone offered, he quickly claimed it.

As the wolf enjoyed his reward, Jack was showing the necklace to the Master Jeweler. Dulfilo studied the necklace and clucked his tongue.

"Marla, can you get all of the tarnish off of this, please?" the aged man asked.

"Oh! Yes," she nodded and carefully took the old jewelry to clean.

"What gem was in it before?" he asked.

"I was told it was a pink diamond," Jack muttered.

"Hmm. That would be hard to replace. How long ago was it missing?"

"Ten years."

"Very hard to track now, you'd think. I'd search the place you found the necklace. See if it fell out? Ah, wait. Let me check something," Dulfilo said and went to examine were the gem sat in the necklace after Marla cleaned it. He pointed out a couple things to her to show her.

"So, it was pried out?" she frowned.

"Yes. The prong here was removed. See?" he asked and showed with a thin jeweler's tool. "And look here. Something bent this out to loosen the gem out. Now, what sort of cut was this?"

"It looks like a teardrop," she said.

"That's right. What size, you think?"

"Two karats."

"Good! Now, how do you think the gem was taken out?"

"Hmm," she thought. "It looks like...first the setting was pried directly. When the prongs were exposed, they went after them."

"Very good," he praised and chuckled. "A pink diamond was supposed to have been here."

"Really? That's horrible! To mangle this for a gem!" she cringed. "Uncle Jack! Don't you think you can find the gem?"

"I found the one that did it. As for the gem, I don't know," Jack sighed. He saw her hurt look, and he found himself sighing again with a chuckle. "If I can't replace the original stone, I might be able to pick up a different one to be worked with."

"That's fine," Dulfilo nodded. "Oh! Check with Rudulpho. He works in a fairly large city. He may have seen something like it. It's worth a try."

"That it is! Thank you," Jack nodded. He figured he could grab a ham for Jenna, too, while he was traveling about. He made his way to the larger city first. On walking into the sister shop before it closed, Rudulpho looked up and waved.

"And, ah, what can I do for you?" he asked. He had his tradesman insignia hung proudly over the main counter wall. It drastically increased his revenue.

"Another bit of jewelry was made known. Tell me. Have you seen any two karat, pink teardrop diamonds floating around? It was stolen away from a necklace by someone that thought poorly of himself and others," Jack said mildly. At this, the man thought and moved to lock up his store to keep any other clients out. He gestured for Jack to follow him. He took out a strongbox and carefully opened it with a complex key. Jack mused to himself on seeing the loose gems that were available.

"I don't think I have anything like what you are describing," Rudulpho sighed. He did pull out gems that were in likeness, but none of them were pink. "The best I have is one with a hint of yellow. Not any of them show pink. Come to think of it, I did see someone wearing a pink stone that you described some time back. It's been awhile, though."

"Did this person come into your shop?" Jack asked.

"She did," he nodded. "She asked if I had any matching stones. I said no, and she simply left. She did leave me her card in case I came across any, though. Hmm...ah! Here it is."

Jack took the faded card, but he saw the address clear enough. "Thanks. I'll look into this now."

"Of course," Rudulpho nodded. Jack left with the wind the moment he was let out of the shop, and he found himself in front of the stately manor. The lawns out front were rich with roses, wild flowers, and various other plants that were currently in season. The grass was well-trimmed and maintained to show that the place was clearly lived in. Taking off his staff of wood and ice, he breathed over it to let his wind scour about for all the information it could glean for him.

What he learned was that the woman was in her mid-fifties, rather large from her wealthy life-style, and always looking for unique items to add to her various collections.  _She loved oddities, and kept quite a few stuffed animals throughout her home. Her entire house was a curio cabinet, in this sense._ As much as he was mildly intrigued over some of the items she had, his true goal was to find the gem. And he definitely found it hanging around her thick neck.

With the wind, he was able to glean that the gem he sought was not the true one. It was a complete dead end to him. He wasn't going to bother with a gem that wasn't stolen. He was about to leave, but then his wind reported a discussion being done. He listened in.

"So, the gem was acquired?!" the woman giggled.

"It was," a man said in the distance. Jack mused at what his wind told him.  _This was, apparently, her servant. She was married, but the husband was always off on business trips to find more artifacts for her. And to get away from her, too._ "If you do not mind, there is a small chip in it."

"What?! A chip?! Let me see!" she demanded. Now Jack's interest was fully taken hold. This was bad news for her. His wind blew open a window several rooms down, and he was able to enter the home this way. He calmly walked along a hallway and waited just outside the room. What his wind revealed when the small box was opened was the very gem he was after. He found it uncanny that whatever he was looking for simply showed up for him. He wasn't complaining, though. What he also found rather amusing was that, even though the weather was warm, a small fire was in place. He would definitely use it to set an example, if there was any conflict of interests.

"See? The tip of the drop is chipped. It may not sit right in the necklace you wish for," the servant said gently. She seemed to sigh with aggravation.

"Do you know how hard it is to find pink diamonds?! All I need is four of them for my creation to be complete! Not just any color will work, either," she grumbled. Jack had to make his appearance. He had to take a closer look at the gem. When he walked in, both humans seemed to look at him with disbelief at his attire and appearance.

"Hello. My name is Jack. The gem you have may have been stolen. I wish to examine it to see if it is the one I'm looking for. It was stolen from a very intricate family heirloom. If it is not the gem I seek, I will simply leave. If it is, I may require it back," he said casually. He was going to say more, but the large woman retorted before he could speak out of a possible exchange.

"Stolen or not, I bought it! It's mine!" the woman growled. He studied her and sighed.  _She wasn't going to listen unless I forced my hand._ He knew this by her appearance alone.

Her dyed, blond hair was coiffed up in rich curls to tumble over her shoulders. Her eyebrows were plucked to almost nothing left and redone with makeup to give the illusion she still had them. He didn't even want to study her blue-eyed face from how much makeup she was wearing already.  _The light blue dress she wore had more ruffles on it than the skirt that hid her figure, and, even then, it hardly hid what it was intended to hide._  The servant was in a dark cotton suit to show himself a figurehead in the household. He was as thin and wiry as most active men were. Even his graying brown hair was kept neatly groomed, but he lacked facial hair. The look in the man's pale green eyes was a bit of scrutiny. But, even he knew that Jack was clearly more than he seemed to be.

"My Lady, all he wishes to do is look at the gem," the man said. "It may not even be what he is looking for. We should trust his judgment."

"No! He'll take it from me!" she hissed.

"We can do this the easy way...or the hard way..." Jack said with an icy edge in his tone. Then the air got colder. At how the small, nice, cheery fire suddenly died out to nothing without even a glow from the embers, the woman's jaw dropped. At the sight of rime starting to appear on various polished counters and floors, the servant even paled with horror. "Do I need to continue this any further?"

"No..." she seemed to whimper. Even her breath showed in the air.

"Thank you," he said with a mild smirk. The servant was trembling when Jack took the small box from him to study it. "Hmm. Yes, this is the gem. I will get this gem replaced for you. I would have explained that I would have offered a replacement, but you were...exceptionally rude to me. Next time, you should know better than to say 'no' to someone that can easily smash you to pieces. Are we clear?"

"Yes," she cringed. When he focused slightly to let his wind search for him, he found a replacement gem rather easily from a storehouse. When he regarded her, he nodded.

"I have located the perfect replacement for you. Let me retrieve it. Just wait," he ordered. At their nods of obedience, he smirked, let his wind burst open a large window, and he vanished right in front of them to prove his point further. He found himself standing in a mine shaft. Several raw diamonds were found in a bin as though tossed aside. There were, actually, quite a few of these raw diamonds being hoarded.  _None would be missed, if I took several of them of various colors and sizes._

Once he had them, he went straight to Dulfilo. He set the raw diamonds on the counter for him and showed off the original teardrop. At this, the elderly jeweler took up the raw stones to go back to the cutting machine. He had Marla nearby to learn how to use the intricate machine. But, he had to make sure the new replacement stone was flawless in design to match the original. Once it was done, Jack thanked them, took the stone, and quickly went back to where the other humans were patiently waiting.

When they saw him arrive, they were a touch speechless from everything. "I have your replacement. It's as flawless and pure as the original. Here. And I won't bother you again."

"Wait..." the woman said now. He rose a brow at her. "I...apologize for my first behavior. I could use your help, actually."

"Oh? I'm listening," Jack said calmly.

"I'm sure you know I am trying to build an intricate design with these stones," she said. She gestured to the servant, and he moved to pick up the now cold box to show off the small treasure in it. "I'm sure you heard him say it's for a necklace, but, well...it's a bit more than that. The necklace is special. It's been said that, if all the stones were returned, that it would open up the actual necklace. It's a box, too, you see? Well...ah...it's a box in actuality. I call it a necklace to keep others from getting too curious. So, I have been trying to acquire the stones for it. My husband found it and picked it up."

"Very interesting. And the stones must be pink?" Jack asked.

"Well...that I do not know. But, the stone I saw in it was pink. It was the only thing I could think of to get it to work. If other colors worked...well..." she seemed to sigh.

"May I take the box to a friend? Whatever contents the box holds within it will be yours. I am friends with a very old jeweler by the name of Master Dulfilo," Jack chuckled softly.

"You know him?! In the flesh?!" the woman gasped.

"I do. Where do you think I got your replacement gem?" he smirked.

"Can you tell me where he is?" she asked.

"I can. But, be warned. It's a place that I protect to the fullest. If you visit, you are to be respectful of everyone there. I watch the entire town constantly. If you understand, I'll tell you where to go. Agreed?" he asked carefully.

"I agree!" she said and nodded her head.

"It's the most southern town on this land. It's surrounded by iced mountains and forests. It would be a good two weeks of travel for you," he said with a small nod. "Let me check and see what this box is. You have my word that you will get the contents."

"I would rather be there when you open it," she said. At this, he seemed to grin.

"I understand. Let me...bring my friend," Jack chuckled. Without another second to waste, he was soon back at the jeweler's shop. "Dulfilo! The gem we replaced was supposed to open a box. It's not a necklace at all. Do you have two more in likeness? Color shouldn't matter."

"In that case, yes. I do," he nodded.

"Care to come with me for a short trip?" Jack asked.

"Well..." he sighed. "Marla! Mind the shop!"

"I will! I'll hold any advanced orders for you," she smiled. He chuckled, put on his warmest coat, and let Jack spirit him away with the two gems needed.

"And here we are!" Jack said when he appeared with the old man.

"I'll never get used to that!" Dulfilo scowled and shook his head. On seeing the two people before him, he gave a slight bow. "Hello. I am Master Dulfilo. I understand that a rather intricate box was found. May I see it?"

"Of course," she beamed and let her servant hand over the box. It easily fit in the palm of his hand. He didn't recognize who made it at all. It was mainly gold with silver inlay of flowers with red tint. That did make him pause a bit with a form of recollection on something, but he figured it was only the design the box held.

"Hmm. Very intricate craftsmanship, indeed! It looks very old, too," he mused. Jack gave over the two diamond teardrops, and they were carefully inserted into the slots. The box opened, and they found it completely empty. "Ah! Nothing is here. It appears to be a very elaborately made jewelry box."

"Oh," she sighed. But, there was something that Jack noticed, and it was under the lid. With some expert slight-of-hand skills, he was able to remove what was there. The box was given back to her to let her enjoy. "Ah, I do plan to visit. I am curious as to what you have in your shop!"

"I just carry the usual items. Nothing of any specific value. However, your visit would be appreciated," Dulfilo chuckled. Jack only hid his laugh at this.  _The older man was being graceful to her, as she may become a possible customer._  With this finally out of the way, Jack nodded again to both the lady and her servant. When Jack returned Dulfilo to his shop, he stopped the man. "What is it?"

"This," Jack grinned and took out the small, flat note he took from the box lid.

"Did you not tell her that she would get what was in the box?" he asked.

"I told her that, yes. But, this was under the lid. And, when the lid was removed, it was no longer in the box," Jack grinned wickedly. That got Dulfilo laughing so hard that he slapped a hand on his counter. Jack waited for him to calm down before going back to the small parchment note in his hand.

"Is everything okay?" Marla asked.

"Just fine!" Dulfilo chuckled. "Go back to the orders, please."

"Okay," she smiled and went into the back room again. The paper was carefully unfolded, and the letters were incredibly archaic to read.

"I can't read this," Dulfilo frowned.

"I can," Jack said and turned the parchment to read better. "Hmm. Interesting. Very interesting, indeed. This, my friend, is a lead on a possible forgotten treasure. It's the start of a verbal map."

"It is?!" he gaped.

"Yes. Give me some time to decipher it. It's all in riddles, it seems. Jenna might be able to help me figure this out. She likes riddles and such."

"That she does. Well, if you do find something..."

"It will be shared," Jack smirked lightly. He tucked away the valuable note and was soon gone. He had a ham to retrieve and deliver to Jenna, and he knew she would need him close. He was away from her a bit longer than normal, and he had to be swift about it. He knew she was craving him now.


	29. Chapter 29

It wasn't until later in the evening, after Jack was able to be with her to help control her need for cold, that the note was shown and read to her. She was very interested in trying to figure out the riddles. He also was working with Dulfilo on repairing the diamond teardrop. He was able to talk to Horath about it. The man was happy it was retrieved, but very pissed that it was damaged.

"He didn't suffer enough!" Horath growled.

"I know," Jack seemed to chuckle.

"Poor Ophelia! She never said nothing about this!" Murda sighed.

"Well, it won't happen again," Jack nodded. A couple new recipes were given to him for Jenna to revise, and she began to insist to meet Jenna in the flesh. "Hmm. It might be possible! I can definitely see about it. And Horath can make a surprise visit to his son. In fact, if you want to test his smithing skills, bring an old weapon and armor piece. We'll see if he can fix it up."

"I like that!" Horath grinned wickedly. "We should do it now."

"Hmm. Give me an hour to prepare McGreggor. Surprise drop-ins are something he really doesn't like," Jack mused. That was agreed to, and he was quick to leave with his wind. He grabbed a ham for Jenna, a smaller one to keep it simple, and he gave it to her on his arrival.

"I was about to ask," she chuckled. He gave her a lusty kiss and handed over the new recipes. "Oh! A pot pie? Very interesting!"

"Of course. Also, Murda would like to visit with you shortly. Horath also wants to see his son. So, they would be coming here. Would you mind the visit?" he asked.

"I'll need a larger ham," she sighed. He sighed with her and laughed lightly. "I also solved a couple of the riddles on that paper. I'm glad you translated them for me."

"Did you?" he grinned.

"Yes. This first one that shows where to start off gave a clue about soft and prickly. I thought of a flower bed. Like thistles or some form of plant. And the way the sun is described tells me that it's up north that it starts. The second one here describes something very hot. That it would be close to the first place. The third riddle here, well...it's a bit tricky," she frowned.

"Oh?" he asked and put his arms around her. She leaned into his cold chest gratefully.

"It says to follow the fire river to the end. Then dig deep within yourself to find the final piece," she said. Jack seemed to cringe. The item it was referring to appeared to be within a volcano to him.

"I have a good idea on what I can find," he chuckled. "I should check it out when I can."

"You should," she smiled. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and narrowed his eyes in thought.

"I need to talk to Clifton and McGreggor really quick. Then I'll check this possible map," he decided. She nodded and let him go to check on the smithy. "Hello! McGreggor, you're going to get a visitor soon. Private chat, please?"

"Very well. Keep the forge going!" the master smith said to Blently. Jack pulled him aside to softly whisper in his ear. The short man looked up at him with a grin of amusement. Then he looked over at the youth sweating over the forge. "Change of plans. Grab some coin and get a haunch of that bear the hunters brought in, would you?"

"On it!" Blently nodded and let McGreggor take over the forge.

"What's going on?" Timothy asked when he managed to walk over.

"Blently's father is paying him a surprise visit. Let Jarlin know," McGreggor snickered. Timothy pursed his lips together to laugh quietly and did just that. Now Jarlin was leaning back against a wall and acted like he was polishing some metal. Jack moved swiftly to retrieve Horath and Murda. A large, rusted, two-handed sword was hefted over Horath's shoulder, and he held an equally massive shield. It appeared to be rusted over, as well, and it also looked dented. But, if one looked past all of that, there was a genuine form of artful craftsmanship etching in the shield. He was holding the shield by the lip of it, strangely enough, but he carried it well.

"These are heirlooms from my Great-Great-Grandfather. If Blently can fix them, they'll be passed to him. If he messes them up..." Horath growled.

"McGreggor will fix them, if Blently is unable to," Jack nodded. Murda appeared with a large book of family recipes, and Jack found himself grinning at it. Then he thought of how to transport them. "I may have to bring you both one at a time. I'm sure you both understand?"

"Yes. Take her first," Horath nodded. Jack agreed, placed his arms under her shoulders, and was soon gone. He reappeared with her outside Jenna's hut, and he knocked on the door to let her answer.

"Murda?" Jenna smiled warmly. The larger woman shivered and coughed a bit to get the cold air from her lungs. At the sight of the cheery fire, she was quick to enter.

"I don't like that one bit!" she snorted.

"I'll make sure he gives you a warmer fur before you go back. It will help," Jenna nodded with agreement. Jack rolled his eyes at her glance, but his eyes were warm at the same time. With Murda taken care of, he went back for Horath and was soon standing outside the smithy.

"Blently! Get over here!" his father said when he charged in with a purpose. Now his son stood there with a slacked jaw. The large piece of bear meat was being cooked over the fire and roasting away. He was tending to it and had no idea of his father's visit. "What are you staring at? I have something I need you to fix up."

"Is that...?!" his son gaped with shock at the sword and shield set on the counter.

"That it is. If you can fix them, then you can guard them," Horath nodded.

"Wait," McGreggor said and examined the pieces. "No. I can't let him touch these."

"Why not?!" Blently asked with a pout.

"Because of this," the master smith said and flipped the shield over. Then he ran his hand along where the leather strap was bound to the shield. A hidden trap suddenly sprung up as though to lop off the intruding hand. Horath was shocked. He never knew it. "Tell me. How did you always carry it?"

"I was told to carry it from the sides at all times," the man said with a shaky breath.

"Good. You see, the safe way to hold this shield is not by the strap. It's the sides. The trap won't spring when the loop is on your wrist. That's where it's safe to use it," McGreggor explained. "I've seen a few of these shields in my life. This one is in the best shape I've ever seen! So, I'll clean this. And the sword."

"It was to be a test for my son," Horath sighed.

"I'll give him a test. Let him fix your belt buckle," the master smith grinned. He noticed the man's buckle clearly needed to be repaired, and the belt was removed. A rope was given as a temporary work around, and McGreggor called over Jarlin, Clifton, and Timothy.

"Sir?" Clifton asked. They got pulled into a back room, as Blently was now repairing a belt buckle. The sword and shield were set on a crafting table, and McGreggor closed the door. Jack was very curious on everything, but he would ensure that Blently didn't intrude. His wind would tell him everything he wanted to know.

"You three are my current apprentices," the master smith started. "I have decided to entrust you three with my direct skills. As in, the heirs to my legacy."

"What?!" Jarlin blinked with shock. Timothy was equally surprised. Clifton only sighed and found himself laughing.

"I was talking it over with Dulfilo the other day. He is going to make Marla his direct heir for his trade, too. You three are the best apprentices I've ever had. And you deal with the frozen man out there. I know he will ensure that our trades carry on," McGreggor said carefully. "Now, I want the three of you to pay close attention when it comes to working on ancient weapons and armors..."

As they got an intense lesson on the true way to fix and repair the unique heirlooms, Marla was getting her own careful instructions on what was going to happen with her.

"But...what do I do if I plan to marry?" she frowned. "We wanted to move!"

"Timothy is also learning specialized techniques. Don't worry. You will both remain for as long as needed," Dulfilo chuckled. "Now, get me the tweezers and the buffing cloth, please."

"Of course," she nodded and did as he asked. When she came back she asked, "Um...why did you choose me? Of all the others?"

"Because I know that you will use my skills and advance them," he said gently. "You have far surpassed any student I have ever taught. You are already worthy of my proof of trade. However, you will have a specialized plaque done to show that you are my full heir in my talents. I know you will pass on my skills to your children. That is important to me."

"I just have one request," she smiled.

"And what is that, my dear?" he asked with his own warm smile.

"If you are around long enough to see my children, and still able to perform your trade, could you help me train them?" she blushed. He found himself laughing and nodding, as he placed a hand on her shoulder to squeeze in a brotherly way.

"You have my word of honor," he beamed. She giggled and was now paying close attention to his secret skills of the trade. Jack learned of everything through his wind, and now he realized why it was being done.  _I will learn the skills, too. I'll become a vault of information._ He could only shake his head and chuckle. After he watched Blently succeed in repairing his father's belt, Jack moved over to Horath to show it was important.

"Take your son out to let him show you the town. McGreggor is very busy right now. I'll explain Blently's absence," Jack muttered.

"Blently, show me the sights," Horath said and put his fixed belt back on.

"Um...should I?" his son frowned.

"It's fine!" Horath grinned and led his son out. Jack moved to knock on the back door to get let in. He explained what just happened, and the master smith nodded.

"Good. Let his father keep him preoccupied. I have some training to do now," McGreggor said. "I'll be by the hut later."

"You should come by! Horath's wife is there with Jenna. A new cookbook was introduced, and I gave over another ham," Jack grinned. McGreggor rose a brow and glanced at the three men around him.  _Plans to stop by were definitely in order._ Jack made his way to leave and found Kaitlin walking in with a worried look on her face. He took instant concern. "Kaitlin? What is it?"

"It's Loo Chon. He's getting homesick," she sighed. "I'm trying to help him cope, but he's really down right now. Can you help?"

"Possibly. Take me to him," Jack nodded. She nodded back and led him over to the small lake that her fiancée was fishing at. He definitely seemed a bit down. "Hi! What's wrong?"

"Huh?" he blinked and looked over at him with surprise. At how Kaitlin was pursing her lips at him, he sighed. "I'm sure she told you."

"Well...what do you miss? Smells? Sights? Touch? All of it?" Jack asked.

"I think it's just basic things that I'm used to working with, really," he admitted. "The string here is good, but it's not sturdy. It breaks all the time. Everything I do here does not stand up to the proper stress level that I am used to. I cannot be gentle with everything."

"Ah. I see now. Not homesick, but faulty materials. Okay. Give me a moment," Jack nodded with understanding. He studied what Loo Chon had to use, and he was given a crash course in the type of fabric netting that was traditionally used.  _Nothing was really brought back, as he didn't know what all he would need._ Now that Jack had a good idea, he sped away with his wind to approach the village that Loo Chon originally came from.

It was a complete time zone away, so it was nearing dusk. It was a perfect chance for Jack to pick up the needed supplies. They were in a vast abundance, so it was easy to do. He even snagged a bundle of dried fish for him. When these were presented, Loo Chon could only sigh with intense relief.

"Thank you! I can study how some of this is made and make comparable items that will work," Loo Chon smiled and took them. At the dried fish, he grinned and planned to introduce Kaitlin to a cuisine he was fond of later on. With his mood now drastically improved, Jack told them of the possible feast later on. They would definitely be there.

He sighed to himself and soon found his way back to Jenna's door. He was let in and hugged tight with relief. "Jack. It's good to see you again."

"Are you okay?" he muttered in her ear.

"It's...hard to keep track of things with a heated stove," she frowned. He pressed a hand directly to her womb over the cloth, and she gave a sharp gasp of solid relief. His eyes widened a bit. _She needed my cold touch directly on her growing womb at times. Through cloth was fine for now, but I will eventually need to touch her directly when I can._ "Loo Chon did mention that he wanted to be married at the end of the week to Kaitlin. He didn't talk about moving yet, though."

"McGreggor won't let him. He wants to safeguard her, too. He made that clear to me. So, he won't let them leave," Jack seemed to grin.

"But...Loo Chon is a fisherman!" she frowned.

"There is a perfectly good sized lake a mile west. I'll show him where it is later on. He plans to stop by later, too," he nodded. At the sight of Murda coming over with a few recipes from her book, she smiled, and they sat at the table. Marigold walked in with Jarlin an hour later. She was learning from the local healer now, and she was becoming quite efficient. He helped her to a seat and was quick to sit with her. Timothy and Marla were next to appear and wave, as they moved to help out.

"Are we late?" Loo Chon asked when he walked in with Kaitlin. Clifton and McGreggor were following shortly after them.

"Just arrived," Jack nodded. Horath was there with Blently, too.

"We have no more space!" Jenna seemed to sigh. "This home was not meant to hold so many at once. I can hardly move around."

"Hmm," McGreggor thought. "We could extend this hut a good ten feet out. There is plenty of room in the front of the cottage. Clifton! Jarlin! Come outside with me."

"What?" Jarlin blinked.

"We are making your mother happy. Now come on, boy," Clifton growled at his son. Marigold giggled and watched him leave. "Timothy! Get out here, too!"

"What? Why me?" he seemed to pout.

"Because you're going to be my son-in-law. That's why," Clifton smirked.

"I will also help," Loo Chon nodded. He pressed a kiss to Kaitlin's cheek and walked outside. The other two looked at each other and felt shown up now. With a bit more space to work with, Jenna, Marla, Marigold, and Kaitlin were studying up on a recipe of minced beef. They looked at the ham and seem to grin at each other.  _It would be easy to substitute in the sweeter meat._

Jack calmly watched the family meal proceed, and his mind went to the map riddles. He was very amused at what he could possibly find. Getting up, he whispered softly to Jenna to see her smile and nod. He walked outside calmly and said, "I'm checking up on something. I'll be back in a bit."

"That's fine. Jarlin! Steady that beam, damn you!" Clifton scowled. Jack grinned and soon found himself heading north. His wind already discovered the soft patch with thorns. _The plants were definitely a form of thistle, but they were crossed with a cactus-like texture. It was very odd._

"Interesting," he mused to himself. He did pluck a bright, fragrant red flower to tuck away. Jenna would like it, and he made a mental note of the area. _It was flat, grassy, and slightly windy._  The odd plants seemed to grow low to the ground, and the only thing he noticed nearby was the large mountain of black lava rock a couple miles off.  _And the rocks were exceptionally heated._ That made him mildly grimace. _My suspicions were right._  Glancing around, he found a proper place to stand. "Okay. Let's make this easy..."

He put his staff solidly in front of him. Then he breathed over the top for his chilling wind to surround the outside of the volcano. It was able to filter in from the various air holes, and the explosion from the intruding cold air mixing with the heat was intense. That was his intent, though. The less lava he had work with, the better off he would be to avoiding intense heat.

He let more wind filter through to cool the volcano down a bit more. Once he judged it was safe enough, he focused on the exterior of the volcano. He let his wind and ice create a sizable hole with some erosion in the weakest wall of the volcano. Then he walked in and looked around calmly.

The volcano was clearly ancient, large, and extremely hot. A shielding of wind and ice now circled around him when the heat started up again, and he was able to have an inch-thick layer of ice coat the ground while he walked. He rose a brow at the sight of the lava pool he came to and paused. He recalled Jenna's riddle. Snapping his fingers in recognition, he began to follow it.

Surprisingly enough, he was brought to a chamber. And, in this chamber, he found himself a touch perplexed at the item in the center of the room. _It was a plant. And it was thriving._  On glancing around the rounded chamber, he noticed that the roots of the plant seemed to be hanging down like vines from the ceiling. An interesting and very odd part of the plant was seen now.  _The roots seemed to glow with a fiery light._ They didn't give off heat, but they were an excellent source of natural lighting. It was a very odd effect from the plant in the lava. The only downside was when he broke off a root. The light lasted for a few seconds and then died out.

The plant, despite have some thick, waxy leaves to help defend against the heat, had a single, impressive flower that seemed to rise up over the main plant. The flower, itself, had petals that almost had a crystallized effect. It gave off the scent of an orchid with a slight hint of brimstone from its surroundings. Jack knew that he couldn't remove the plant from here.  _Not unless it lived in intense heat._ He didn't even want to touch the flower for fear of killing it.

He still had his wind surrounding the volcano from the outside, and he was able to figure out that an exit could be made from where he was. He had to be crafty about it, though. He didn't want just anyone to get into this special chamber. Then he looked at the ceiling. The hole was soon made, and he was able to leave. He went to get McGreggor.  _The man could withstand a lot more heat than the usual person._  This was who he needed.

"Jack?" the master smith asked curiously from where he sat outside.

"I need your help. It's with a volcano," Jack seemed to smirk. McGreggor's interest was clearly peaked, and he quickly found himself in the chamber.

"If this place was my forge, I'd be a happy man!" he grinned. "And what's this?"

"A treasure, apparently. A flower that lives in a volcano, and the vines give off light. But, if the vines are removed, the light dies," Jack said.

"I don't know what this flower is," he muttered. "I don't recognize it. I wouldn't remove it, though. This plant won't live outside this place. Oh! I see some seeds..."

"Seeds?" Jack blinked. McGreggor nodded and carefully shook the flower to let a few of the small, black, slender seeds fall. They looked dried out and dead, but that could easily change.

"I'm going to try and plant these into my forge," he said and pocketed them. "I want this place sealed back up, too. We know how to get here now."

"You think they'll grow in your forge?" Jack grinned.

"One way to know for sure. Ah! Plant one of these in that heater for Jenna's pigs," McGreggor said and handed over a small seed. "I'll make sure it stays at a good temperature."

"Good to know," Jack nodded and pocketed the seed. McGreggor was delivered shortly back to his smithy to hide the exceptionally rare seeds. Then he let Jack take him back to Jenna's hut. The feasting had just started, and he clearly wanted to be a part of it. That was made apparent at the sight of the pulled pork ham dish that was brought out and served. Jenna gave Jack a tight hug to get some of the chill she needed before moving to join the family. The seeds would be revealed to her later when they were alone. He didn't want Horath and his family to know of them. He didn't want the plant to be found and destroyed. _McGreggor would be too pissed off, if that ever happened._


	30. Chapter 30

It was a couple days later that Jenna found out about the seeds. And that was when she saw McGreggor making some changes in the heating ducts to support the seed that Jack carried.

"What are you doing?" she asked and blinked at them.

"Jack found seeds to a very rare flower that blooms in a volcano," McGreggor said.

"Oh! The riddles!" she said with surprise.

"Riddles?" McGreggor asked. Jack now told him about what happened before when he got the jewel back for Murda's family. The master smith was grinning. "And it wasn't attached to the box! Good! I doubt they would have known how to treat such a flower."

"It would be dead by now," Jack grimaced. "If anything, we saved it from extinction."

"Well, we'll see if this works," he corrected and used a set of tongs to carefully set the seed into the hot coals. "I put some soil in there to see what happens. If it doesn't work, we may need to get some of what the main plant was in."

"True," Jack mused.

"But...what's the purpose of this plant?" she asked.

"That is something we will find out," Jack smiled warmly. He moved to steady her when she began to feel dizzy, and he glanced at McGreggor.

"Rough one, eh?" he frowned.

"You could say that," Jack sighed.

"Expecting any others?" he asked casually.

"I don't know," Jenna winced. "It's too warm out here..."

"Excuse me," Jack muttered and took her into the storage shed where it was iced over purposely for her. She gave an intense sigh of relief the moment she was set on an icy chair. "Easy. It's okay."

"I should just...tell Clifton...that this one is yours..." she winced.

"And...if you do..." he shivered. "there is a chance that..."

"As if he could ever keep you from me," she seemed to ground out and press into him more. "I was yours, Jack. I  _am_  yours! I know the other kids have a faint idea on all of this..."

"And Kaitlin knows all, too," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"She had to know for when my time with her to create another future bride would happen. There was no choice in it," he explained. "Jenna...don't look at me like that. I told you about this before. I don't know how long you'll live for. I already vowed to ensure that she would be named after you."

"It would be best...if I was reborn as her..."

"If that happened, I would be as overjoyed as you."

"No need to be with another."

"You would always be mine. I would never share you," he growled and kissed her hard. He placed his direct touch on her belly and paused with shock.  _She wasn't showing any form of pain. She was fully and completely immune to me. And she needed my direct touch, as I thought before._  The shocking sigh of relief she gave was intense. "Hush, now. Shh. It's okay. Now that I know you need this, I'll see what I can do."

"It's too warm out there..." she trembled. "I can't go back out there..."

"Hmm..." he frowned. "You'll give birth in winter, so that won't be a problem. It's now in the summer and fall that it's a problem. Clifton is always a deep sleeper, right?"

"He's been sleeping away from me," she said. "because I get so hot now..."

"I see. I'd take you to my spot up in the mountains where it's only ice..."

"Can you?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. One way to definitely keep him out of your bed is to give you a block of ice to sleep on," he mused. At her look of genuine hopefulness, he found himself laughing. "I'll talk to him about it first so he knows."

"Okay," she nodded. "I know he...does what he can...but..."

"I know," he soothed and cradled her. "Just work with me. With this child, you are giving me something you've been wanting to give me. A child of our own. A start of a new lineage. I honestly don't know what to expect on this. So, we'll see what happens."

He paused when his wind reached him from under the purposeful crack in the door. He glanced at her, and she nodded back with understanding. He walked out from the shed and muttered in McGreggor's ear. The man was very surprised. "She can resist you?!"

"Yes. And she is at a point from this heat that she will need to sleep on ice directly," he sighed.

"That would be rough. Unless we make the shed into a form of a bedroom," McGreggor thought aloud. "We could do that."

"You would help with this?" Jack asked with a small grin.

"Any direct offshoot of you deserves to be watched!" the man scowled to make Jack laugh. "But, if she needs a bed of ice...hmm..."

"If Clifton doesn't mind her sleeping in the ice shed, it may work," Jack shrugged. "I'm sure she'll get better when the weather gets colder. Right now, she really is suffering. Any amount of heat hurts her. But, that's weather. She seems to eat warm food just fine."

"Interesting," he admitted. When he saw Clifton walking over, he was gestured to. "Jenna is suffering badly in the heat. She's in the ice shed. I want to make it into a small bedroom for her."

"What?" Clifton frowned and walked into the shed. At the sight of how relieved she was in the cold building, it had him thinking. "Jenna, why do you need to be so cold?"

"I don't know," she winced. "It may be what's left of Jack's magic doing this to me. Kaitlin did get most of it, but I also have a bit left. It could be residual. And it took so long for me to get pregnant again, you know? After her?"

"True," Clifton sighed. "And I know how bad it was with Kaitlin. How you need Jack around you. I didn't expect this one to be so severe. It's almost as though it came directly from Jack! And it had better not be his, either! I doubt he'd stoop so low. He did have me marry you, after all."

"I know," she smiled. Then he saw her tremble. She wanted to tell him the truth, but he took the tears as a sign of pregnancy hormones. He moved to her side to carefully hug her.

"Don't worry," he whispered. "We'll work with this one. I don't know how Jack's magic works, ya know? And, hey. Maybe it will be a son!"

"If I don't get ill that often, then it may be one," she chuckled. "With Jarlin, I only got emotional. The girls made me ill. With how I am now, it may possibly be a son."

"That they did. And you know I would enjoy another son! Now," he said and looked at the small shed. "we could set up a small bed in here. If you don't freeze now, then I know you'll be fine. I will admit, though. I don't like sleeping alone. I'm not used to it. So, let's try this. We'll chill the main bed down. I'll dress warmer than the norm, and we'll see if it helps."

She nodded and sighed. Her breath wasn't misting out like his was. As much as he wanted to be concerned about that, he knew it was likely from her condition. Then she said, "You're getting cold. You should go out there. I'll be fine in here."

"Very well," he nodded. He kissed her forehead and winced at how cold she felt.  _She was warm to me with Kaitlin. It was almost as though she was carved from ice with this pregnancy._ "Just stay here for now."

"I can do that," she nodded. He smiled and walked out of the shed. When he looked over at Jack, all he saw was worry. He sighed and shook his head.

"All of us are concerned about her," Jack said.

"I have to know," Clifton said. "Is her pregnancy yours?"

"What?!" Jack feigned shock. "You think I have the ability to make kids?!"

"Well..." he grimaced.

"Clifton, stop it," McGreggor grunted. "This is about your wife. Her health is at risk. Don't think of anything else right now."

"Right, right," Clifton sighed.

"She needs to be kept cold. She's in enough distress. You holding on to doubts won't help her right now. What is the plan to help her?" McGreggor asked.

"We agreed to try a bed of ice," Clifton said.

"Okay. Let's get to work," he nodded.

"Tell me when to ice it," Jack said.

"I'm sorry..." Clifton started. Jack rose up his hands.

"I know why you asked. And, if I had a solid answer for you, I'd tell you," Jack said. He honestly didn't know if the child was his or not. Clifton nodded and his mood turned more towards neutrality again. At how Jack suddenly spun about to face the path to the main village, both men looked at him with rapt attention. "Something is happening in the main square."

"Let's go," McGreggor said. The wolves moved out of the house to lay down in front of the shed door. They sensed something was going on, too. Jack was quick to start moving to the village center, and he found himself on a rooftop to overlook the grounds. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of Blently getting cornered by a small crowd.

"He broke my window!" an elderly man hollered. "He deliberately came by and broke it!"

"I did no such thing!" Blently growled. "I was nowhere near your house!"

"He's the son of a vagrant!" the man continued. Then he felt the warning chill of Jack's wind filtering around him. At the sight of Clifton and McGreggor appearing, he turned and said, "He broke my window! He came up to my house and did it deliberately!"

"Oh? What did he use to break it?" McGreggor asked casually.

"I don't know!" the man grunted. "I was eating in my kitchen and heard something shatter. Then I saw him running away in the distance. He did it!"

"I did not!" Blently said.

"That's impossible," McGreggor shrugged. "He was working in the forge all morning. Even the other lads can vouch for him."

"That he was," Clifton nodded. Now the small crowd started to mutter about the man.

"You just don't like him, because he comes from raiders..." Jack mused when he appeared. Now the elderly man trembled. "I think you broke your own window. Shall we test the theory? Actually, don't bother. There are no windows broken in your home. Your home is untouched."

"You have no proof!" the elderly man argued.

"You want attention," Jack muttered. "In fact, I don't believe that you need to live in this village anymore. You need to be around others that are of your age and good standing. Shall I relocate you? I can easily place you in an area where real vandals are. A place that makes you wish you never made such...scandalous accusations. What do you say?"

"I..." the man started.

"You should move him!" a youth said. "Just the other day, he said I damaged his gardens. I was clear across town when this happened!"

"I delivered milk to his door, and he said I tracked mud all over his path," a pretty young girl frowned. "I was very clean. I felt so upset..."

"Let's do this," Jack mused. "I'll keep watch on your house for a whole week. If every accusation you do from here on out is false, then you will find yourself waking up in a whole new town. As to where you will live, well...you'll be on your own. Do we have a bargain?"

"What do you mean by this?!" the man spat. "I was born and raised in this town!"

"A lie," Jack grounded out. "You moved here five years ago. And you've been a nuisance ever since. In fact, ah! Yes. Of course. You made yourself quite demanding to various local girls to be your wife or maid. Haven't you? I'm going to check something..."

"You have no proof! You have nothing!" the man insisted. McGreggor and Clifton were watching everything calmly. Blently was just shaking his head at this. He had actually grown a touch wiser on working with the forge from better eating and good work.

"So, you are admitting that you knew exactly what you are doing?" Jack grinned with an icy glare. The man tried to open his mouth to speak, but he simply couldn't. "What's in it for you?"

"Um..." a small boy with raggedy brown hair and brown eyes spoke up. Jack looked over at him. "Can I show you something?"

"Of course!" Jack smiled. "Detain him, though."

"Right," McGreggor grinned and grabbed the older man. Jack calmly followed the boy to where the old man's house was. He appeared to be no more than ten, but he was traversing everything easily. The boy knew how to avoid obstacles, and Jack was a touch impressed with the child. Now he noticed that the house was on the very edge of the village border, and the boy stopped to point at some odd red mushrooms with white spots on them. Jack paused to wait for him to speak.

"I was taught by my Mum," he said. "These cause bad things."

"Do they?" Jack asked and leaned down to study them. "Ahh. The spores cause random fits of hysteria and other ails. The mushroom, itself, can be made safe if cooked properly, but only with care. And this house was built around them? Hmm..."

"I would come here to play. Not around these things. But...I saw him picking them," the boy frowned. "Um...I tried to tell him they were bad...but...he called me a liar."

"Tell me," Jack said. "Have you ever gone into his house?"

"No. But...around the back, I found odd bags," he admitted. Jack now took his staff of wood and ice to breathe over it. The wind howled and churned to surround the house and infiltrate it in full. At the sight of the boy shivering, Jack made a patch of snow to reach down and pull out an exquisite fur.

"Wear this. You'll feel better. You can keep it, too," Jack chuckled. The boy was awed, and he nodded his thanks. "Okay. I have my information. This man...hmm. He slipped past my gaze for a very long time. He made himself out to be a rather nasty old man to purposely be left alone. He's been working with these mushrooms to make poisons for the town."

"No!" the boy gasped.

"He was. He was also buying mass quantities of flour to blend bits of the powdered mushrooms in. He was going to make bread to sell to the people. To make them sick. Then he would have robbed everyone and left for the next village. And he would have taken his stock of mushrooms with him. Very well. I'll take one of these..." he muttered and iced it over before plucking it from the ground. "The name of this is...ah! Fly amanita. And it's a rather odd abundance here. And I'll take one of these bags, too. Looks like he was drying them out and powdering them rather finely."

The boy nodded and led Jack back to the village square. The faulty man was bound to a heavy wooden pole and seated on the ground. The moment Jack presented the troublesome mushroom there was silence. The villagers were beside themselves with shock. When he explained what the elderly man was plotting to do, it was only obvious that his fate was sealed.

"Poison us?! For what purpose?" a villager asked.

"We let him live with us just for him to have plans to rob us?! How disgraceful!" an older woman scowled out. "We should throw him out!"

"Where did he come from, anyways?" another man asked. "And where would he go? He'll only do this to the next village he comes to!"

"I can agree with that," Jack nodded to him. "My wind has told me that this is not the only village he harmed. There are several others that are looking for him. For a form of...closure."

"Closure, you say?" McGreggor began to grin. "Can these other villages be visited?"

"No!" the elderly man seemed to beg from where he was bound up.

"He's being hunted?" Clifton asked.

"Extensively," Jack grinned.

"Do we have any sort of a building prepped for guests?" John's father asked when he walked over on his cane. "If not, then we should have one. I think a town meeting is due."

"We can work on that now," one of the stronger lads in the village nodded to the respected man.

"Good. See to it. Prepare a small village feast. And I want to know who is going to show up so that we can provide adequate guest quarters. We may need to construct a building for housing guests. Not like the inn we have, but for respectable people," he advised wisely.

"We'll get to work on that," McGreggor nodded. "And what do we do with him?"

"We still have the village jail. Let him be held there," the man said. His quiet order was quickly heeded to. Now he looked at Jack and asked, "If you can get a head count as to how many village speakers will attend this meeting, I would appreciate it. Would you be so kind?"

"I can do that," Jack nodded. He saw what the old man was doing as a direct threat to Jenna and his unborn child. "Oh, what do you want to do with his house? And the atrocities growing around it?"

"I will have the village's most skilled mushroom experts carefully gather them up and place them far off to be burned at a safe distance. This will include all of his poisons and notes on them. But, do tell me. Would such a thing also hold alchemical benefits?"

"You may be on to something there!" Jack blinked. "Okay. We'll destroy the processed mushrooms. We'll keep the whole ones."

"Good idea," the man smiled. "And you should put them in a very thick block of ice to avoid tampering. What do you think?"

"I like that idea," Jack grinned. They continued to converse and plan on what to do for notable guests. His thoughts still went back to Jenna.  _I protected her once again from an unknown threat._  Now that he knew that threats didn't have to come from only humans, he was going to personally inspect every crumb of food and drop of water that was going to reach her.


	31. Chapter 31

A month flew by after that. Over six villages were affected by the man's poisonous deeds and contacted. They all wanted a piece of him for the damage he did to their food supply and economy. A new building was built within that time, and it was furnished with the best the village had. Jack even supplied various furs to line the rooms and few walls.

"How many are we expecting?" the respected older man asked.

"He irked five villages. The first one to represent their village will be here shortly," Jack said. "I will...wisely....make myself scarce. But, I will be listening in to everything."

"Good idea," he nodded. Jack chuckled and mused that he never really said his name out loud. Of course, he knew his name. _Justinian was a rather dignified name of itself._

"Jack," Jenna smiled when he checked on her in the ice shed. He moved to give her a gentle kiss and hugged her to him. She was starting to show in a slight way now. "Kaitlin was supposed to have been married by now. She still isn't married."

"True," he sighed. "Maybe after these people leave it can be done at last."

"Have you been pushing it back?" she asked softly.

"In many ways, I have," he admitted. "Because I know how much it would hurt you when the time comes for me to...well..."

"Would it only have to happen once?" she asked.

"I don't know," he sighed. "If it's only once, then fine. It's all that is needed. We'll have to see. Until then, I don't want to stress over it."

"I know you don't," she said and pressed into him. "And...I wouldn't mind...giving you another child. I think I should."

"And then Clifton would have the biggest fit of his life," Jack muttered and rolled his eyes.

"McGreggor would, too," she giggled. At the look of agreement he gave her, she laughed softly.

"Well, in another month those two pigs will be breeding out. Until we have a good stock of them, we may have to let at least three litters come about. That should be plenty," he chuckled. "And I did get you a few hams to tide you over."

"I still have some left from that larger one you got me a bit earlier in the week," she smiled and gently nibbled his lower lip. He pressed a kiss to her mouth and let her press into him. "I still want to visit the mountains you made."

"Hmm. You plan to sleep in here tonight?"

"I do. After last night, I just...I can't sleep in a normal bed anymore. I can't do it..."

"Easy," he soothed and comforted her trembling form. "We'll make a trip tonight. I'll make sure that Clifton is in a dead sleep. Actually, make something really hearty for him to eat. That always does it. You need to make something that will make him fully sleep through the night."

"I can do that. I know what I can make, too," she chuckled.

"Good," he smiled and kissed her a bit more to keep her calmed.

"I'll need to start it now. I should be okay," she nodded. He nodded back and led her out of the shed to the cottage. When he saw an odd man standing at the main way to the road and walking over, Jack stiffened. Jenna frowned and went right in to bar the door.

"I want to see the man!" the man said when he walked over. He was wearing hides, heavy boots, and sported a lustrous beard that was brown and dotted with grey. Even his hair went past his shoulders and seemed to be slightly curled in various ways. "He poisoned my family!"

"Calm yourself. If you go to the main square..." Jack started.

"No! I vowed to find him and rip out his liver!" he snarled. Then Jack gave a chilling glare that stopped the man in his tracks. It was a look that sent shivers of fear up and down his spine. Now he noticed how the air got colder. And he finally saw the odd staff on Jack's back. Then he saw Jack's attire. He realized that he almost crossed a dangerous line.

"I've killed mercenaries. Barbarians. Whole groups of them on my own. This village is under my protection. And, yes, you will get a piece of the one that tried to endanger this village, too. You are not the only one that wants to tear him a new one. So, do yourself a favor. Go to the main square. Introduce yourself. State what the criminal has done and what part of him you want. It will be noted and put into a reserve. Go. Now," Jack said calmly and carefully.

"Okay..." the man trembled and swallowed. The way he saw it, he just talked to death and lived. Jack smirked, as the man seemed to walk off at a fast pace. Then he knocked on the door to let Jenna open it. She just shook her head and let him hug her. She saw the whole thing through a window.

"Start cooking," Jack smiled and kissed her forehead. She nodded and began to start a heavy bread and meat mixture that was just like a meatloaf. When she started to get warm, Jack was right there to give her his direct touch. She sighed with relief each time he did it.

"At least I can eat heated food. It's just the weather that gets to me," she frowned.

"I know," he agreed. "That's why I'm here. And I noticed you made a rather large amount."

"I want a family dinner tonight," she smiled.

"Ah! I'll spread the word," Jack nodded. "Go into the ice shed, if you need to."

"I will," she nodded. The wolves were gorging on fat pieces and quite content to lounge where they were. The white one gave a lazy sigh of contentment. The black one had his head on his paws in a curled up way. But he was very wary.

"Yes, there are new ones in the village," Jack chuckled. The black wolf looked at him and snorted. "And, yes, you can tear into any that try to get at Jenna."

That had him huff, stand to stretch, and move to lean into Jenna's side. He was rewarded with a good scratching behind his ears and another piece of fat. When he looked at her for more, she laughed. "I do need it for cooking. How about this. Be good for me, and I'll let you and your brother have a little of the drippings from what cooks."

That got him to perk his ears forward with a small wag of his tail. He heard  _drippings_  and  _cooks_. He knew that meant a treat. Even his brother whined with impatience. Jack chuckled at that and turned to frown at what his wind told him.  _Why are the newcomers coming to Jenna's place?!_

"Jenna. Stay put. Boys. With me," Jack muttered. The wolves both bared their teeth and rose up to action. They knew those commands rather well. At the sight of Jack walking out with the two massive wolves, the two men walking over paused in their tracks. "Why did you come here? The main place to stay is in the main square."

"Oh! We were just exploring the town," one of the men said.

"This area is off limits. Past the bridge to here is not to be traversed. It is private land. Surely you were told?" Jack asked. The wolves snarled viciously to show they were ready to attack.

"Well..." the other man started, and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess. You're looking for the culprit. He's not here. If he was, I'd have already killed him and hung his frozen corpse out for all to see," Jack smirked darkly. "Now go back the way you came. Before I change my mind on reporting the two of you for being out of bounds."

They left quickly. Jack narrowed his icy gaze and turned to return to Jenna. She looked at him and let him hug her. "What happened?"

"I need to pay a visit to a couple figureheads. The wolves will guard you," he said. She nodded and let him kiss her before leaving. He left right after that and appeared in Justinian's house. "We need to talk. Now."

"What is it?" the older man asked.

"These travelers keep coming over to Jenna's land. They are stressing both her and myself out. In a sense, I'm becoming known. If we don't want anyone killed, I may have to do something drastic."

"I tell them to explore all but past the bridge!"

"I know you do. But, they don't care. They don't have rules."

"Or they make their own."

"And I don't like that either."

"We have another four men that showed up. I'll direct them to the main building. And I'll have an alert sounded that a meeting is going to take place soon," he said.

"Good. Because, if I find one more man walking over to disturb Jenna, there  _will_  be a frozen corpse hanging around somewhere in warning," Jack grunted. "And I won't say who's or what kind."

"I can understand that," he nodded. "Don't worry. If anything, it's your rules we work with."

"To an extent," Jack chuckled. They nodded to each other, and he vanished to find the forge. "Hello. Where is McGreggor?"

"Here," the man said and trudged out. "I was hiding from the new ones. Some of them are a touch flighty around me. They know I remember certain things they did to me in the past."

"Really? Interesting. Anyways, I'm letting you know this so you'll be prepared. I'm icing over the bridge to Jenna's place. These new ones are getting too curious for their own good. I would suggest that you watch your footing when you use the path," Jack warned.

"Can I wear studded boots?" he asked. "The undersides would be reinforced."

"That can work. Make some for the rest of the family," Jack nodded.

"I'll do that," McGreggor nodded and got out some spare bits of metal.

"And by next month, the pigs will be breeding."

"Good to know!"

"Also...Jenna is preparing a small feast..."

"I'll close early."

"And..."

"I'll tell the rest."

"See you there!" Jack grinned and vanished. He reappeared in the jeweler's shop and discovered a small scene. One of the visiting youths was trying to get close to Marla. He cleared his throat.

"Huh?" the young man blinked and stared at Jack.

"Back away from my niece," Jack muttered out.

"Uncle Jack!" she gasped and moved to his side. He was careful not to touch her when she hugged him with relief. "I was working...and he came right behind the counter..."

"Did he now?" Jack asked. "Where is your Master?"

"I was in the back room sorting a new parcel out," Dulfilo said when he emerged. "I had just heard her tell another to go back to the other side of the counter."

"I see. Now, give back what you stole," Jack said calmly.

"I didn't steal anything!" the youth said.

"You did. There was a small diamond on display. It's in your left pocket. Put it back. Or don't. It won't be there if you leave the shop, anyways," Jack smirked. Marla covered her smile.  _The man stole one of Jack's ice diamonds. It would become a puddle of water if he left._ The youth simply huffed and stormed out. Jack focused and chuckled. Then he simply replaced the gem.

"These new ones..." Dulfilo sighed and shook his head. "I am afraid to leave my shop unguarded. It makes me nervous."

"I can ice over the doors and windows," Jack shrugged. "McGreggor can heat them free."

"Can you?!" he asked.

"Yes. And Jenna is planning a feast tonight," Jack grinned.

"I shall be there," he promised. "Marla, you can help me lock up a few gems. We will retire early for now. Come."

"Yes, Master!" she nodded and was quick to help.

"Oh. I intend to ice over the bridge. Make sure McGreggor gives you something for your feet," Jack advised. They both chuckled and agreed to that. The moment the gems were secure, and after Jack iced over the entire building, he returned to Jenna's side to give her the touch she desperately needed. At how she was panting from it, he knew she was at her brink of waiting.

"Hush now. The others are coming here," he soothed. "Hmm. You know, you could hold the diamond I gave you. The one with the runes. There is a large part of my magic in it."

"You think so?" she asked.

"Try it the next time we are alone. I should have charged you up enough," he smiled and kissed her forehead. "We'll be fine. Let's get the family fed. Then I'll take you to the mountains."

"Of course, Jack," she sighed and leaned into him. He cradled her a moment longer before letting her go to finish cooking. He moved to sit in the usual chair he had to recline in. Then he got up on remembering something he had to do.

"I'm icing over the path to the house. A necessary precaution," he said. She nodded and continued to prepare the heavy supper. She already had the bread rolls baking from leavening in the warm air. Soon the smell of baking bread would easily fill up the small place. Jack came right back in after a nice coating of ice and slush was over the bridge. If new ones weren't careful, they'd slip on the path and alert him. She let him touch her to help get cooled back down before going back to cooking. Jack had sat back down to monitor her and the wind around him.

The moment she started to set the table, Kaitlin had appeared with Loo Chon to help. They had the specialized footwear on, since they had gotten the message.

"Mother!" she beamed and got hugged. "We came as fast as we could."

"I can see that!" Jenna laughed softly and let her daughter help place dinner.

"Kaitlin and I want to be married," Loo Chon said.

"I know. The moment these others leave, it will be done," Jack nodded.

"I'm holding you to it!" he said with a small smile. Jack only nodded again and rose up from the chair when he saw Jenna straining from the heat. He placed his direct touch on her to cool her off.

"Mom?! Did Uncle Jack just...touch you? Directly?!" Kaitlin gaped.

"He did. You could say that I may be having a pregnancy that could be like you," Jenna chuckled. Kaitlin was awed at this. "It's his touch that really cools me down."

"But...for him to touch you directly..." Loo Chon frowned. "It almost sounds as though..."

"Say nothing. It is merely speculation. Nothing more," Jack warned when he whispered in his ear with the wind. Loo Chon coughed and dropped the subject completely. When Kaitlin looked over at him, he gave an easy smile to show all was well. The moment Marla showed up with Timothy, they were quick to see what they could do to help out. Jarlin and Marigold were now there to help out with the clean-up and to make better seating.

"Did it start yet?" McGreggor chuckled when he walked in with Clifton. Dulfilo was right behind them and already had a growling stomach from the rich smells in the air.

"Not yet!" Marla giggled.

"Good! Cook this," he said and handed over a large haunch of elk meat. "It was on sale. I had to grab it! It can cook while we eat."

"Really?" Jenna smiled and took up the meat. When the wolves looked at her for fat pieces, she sighed. "I don't see any. I'm sorry."

"Here," McGreggor said and dumped a small bag of fat trimmings on the ground for them. "I asked the butcher to do that for me."

"The wolves may see you as their newest best friend," Jack laughed softly.

"I'll bring them a bit more when I can," he said and gave the white wolf a good ear scratching. Near the middle of the meal, Jenna had to get up to work on the desserts. Jack was able to carefully give over his direct touch in non-discrete ways. Mainly to show he was helping to chill the desserts down. It wasn't as effective, but it did work. When the large meat chunk was done, Clifton was complaining of how full he was already. But, it didn't stop him from eating a couple of slices when it was served up to him. It was the whole reason why Jenna served him.  _I want him to sleep!_

After another hour, the yawns were heard. Jack let them know that he had overheard that the faulty man's trial would be set for first thing in the morning. Clifton and McGreggor both knew they had to be there. Dulfilo would still be guarding over his shop. Jack was simply listening in to everything calmly, as good-byes were said. Clifton was already in a deep sleep in the bed. He was expecting Jenna to sleep in the ice shed. Once he knew it was safe, he had Jenna walk out of the shed with him.

"You didn't eat much," Jack frowned.

"I know," she sighed. "I didn't want to fall asleep."

That got him laughing, and he pulled her close. The wind swirled around them and carried them to the mountains of ice. He knew when Clifton woke up after a heavy meal.  _Jenna would be back before then._ As for now, Jenna could only stare in sheer wonder at the place Jack made. He had made two rooms carved out of the ice in his spare time. More would likely be done, but he had made a bedroom and a main chamber. She wasn't cold now. She wasn't overheating. She felt perfectly normal in the atmosphere with him. Now she looked at him and swallowed hard with a form of control.

"What is it, Jenna?" he asked softly.

"For the first time I can possibly remember..." she whispered and hugged him tight. "I feel like...like I'm home..."

"Then...welcome home, love. And I'll bring you back whenever I can," he promised and kissed her with a passion that could have melted half the mountain from how fiery and intense it was.


	32. Chapter 32

In the early morning hours, Jack had brought Jenna back to avoid any suspicion. As much as she was loathe to leave, she knew it had to be done. But, she knew that he would bring her back. There was a trial he had to oversee, and she had some usual morning chores that needed to be done.

"The wolves will protect you. My wind will tell me if anything happens to you. You are always my first priority. Regardless of your condition," he said and kissed her forehead. Clifton was already at the meeting. Jenna had slept comfortably in the ice shed. Jack let her recline against him until Clifton was readying to wake up. It was getting harder and harder for him to leave her. Not only because she needed him so close, but because he couldn't bear to be away from her for so long.

He soon appeared in the courtroom of the small town. It was just large enough to hold those that needed to be there, and the guilty man was sitting in a chair in the center of the room. Justinian was clearly the judge from how high up he was sitting to monitor the situation. McGreggor and Clifton were there is a form of guards to keep the angry men away from the old man.

"I want his hands!" a portly man seethed from where he stood. "I want to make sure he can't make anything ever again!"

"I will note that," Justinian nodded.

"And I want his liver!" the barbaric man that Jack sent away before said quickly.

"No! I want that!" a thinner man in similar dress said. Now the two men glared at each other.

"For what purpose?" the barbaric man asked.

"A stew of vengeance!" the other said. Now the barbaric man was surprised.

"I was going to do the same. Tell me. Do you come from town of Stonich?" he asked.

"No. But...my Grandfather did..." the thinner man blinked.

"I think we're cousins," the barbaric man grinned.

"Oh?! If that's so, we should make the dish together to show we took down a common enemy!" the other grinned back savagely.

"Yes. We are cousins. That is exactly what our family does on conquering our enemies. Very well. We will share his liver," the barbaric man laughed with him.

"Good," Justinian muttered and marked the organ down calmly on his parchment.

"What about me?!" the guilty man finally asked.

"What about you? A very good question, indeed..." Jack said when he walked in. His chilling aura of death quickly quieted the room. He set his staff of wood and ice aside to let it freeze to the ground to stand on its own. Then he bent down to glare into the man's eyes at eye level. "What was in it for you, eh? Why did you even think of doing this to begin with?"

"I...I can't tell..." the man started. He was beginning to shiver hard from how close the freezing staff was. And the ground was beginning to slowly ice over the longer it stood there.

"And why is that?" Jack prodded. "Are you getting...cold?"

"He can't answer us, if you kill him," McGreggor snorted. Jack gave a small, cold chuckle, but the burly man was right. He reached over and pulled the staff easily from the inch-thick of ice it made on the ground. The other men in the room began to have their breath mist out. Justinian was wearing a heavy fur coat. Jack had warned him in advance. He was always one to take such advice.

"Can you answer the question?" Justinian asked regally. "Why do you do such acts?"

"I...can't say...why..." the guilty man shivered.

"Then we can make you say why," Jack grinned evilly. "Each man here says you did something to them. Either to their family, or their town. So, why don't we let them beat it out of you? As long as they don't aim for the chest or head, the rest is fair game."

"I should stab him in the gut and rip out his innards!" a muscular man with tattoos over his arms seethed. Black eyes glared out amidst a heavily bearded face of black hair.

"No! Then you'll hurt his liver! It must be untouched!" the barbaric man snarled.

"Aim for the arms and legs. And...try not to make him bleed out. He can't say anything if he's dead," Jack shrugged. As one of the men stepped forward with a murderous glare in his green eyes, the guilty man finally caved from the fright.

"Stop! Okay..." he whimpered. "I was...paid to do this..."

"By who?" Clifton frowned hard.

"I don't know. For each town I visited and harmed, I was sent a package of gold. I had nothing at first. Struggling to survive like everyone else, you know? Then a man came up to me with a packet of mushroom spores and papers. Told me if I followed the instructions that I'd be paid well."

"Hmm," Jack frowned. "Do you know what this man looked like?"

"Thin. Very thin. He wore wolf hides. I think. It's been a few years. I'd find the package on a roadside during my travels from place to place. Now that I've said this, I'm sure he knows," the man grimaced and cringed. "I'm a dead man now."

"I want to know where the package would be delivered. Did he tell you where?" Jack prodded.

"I was to take the main trail north. To the next village," he said.

"None of you are to touch him yet. You may all get your licks in on another," Jack snickered. That got the man laughing wickedly at that thought. "We'll find out soon enough."

"You'd better hurry," Justinian muttered.

"Oh, it's fine. I'm sure it gives more time for the cooks to make something to feed this...wonderful crowd. Right?" Jack chuckled. Justinian paused at that. Sighing, he sent word to the village baker and butcher to prepare something quickly. Jack now breathed over the top of his staff to search the wind. At what he found, he showed amusement. "Please keep watch over him. I'm bringing backup with me. With the form of fur and teeth."

"Go ahead," McGreggor nodded.

"How long do we wait?" Clifton asked.

"Ten minutes. If I don't come back, continue the trial," Jack said.

"Will do," Justinian nodded. Jack let his chilling wind swirl around him and take him to Jenna's small cottage dwelling. He knocked on the door and walked in to find the wolves happily licking up some of the grease she gave them.

"Boys. One of you with me. Scouting," Jack said. The white one jumped up and bared his teeth. The black one snorted and licked his chops with his ears perked forward.

"What's going on?" Jenna asked. He pressed his hand to her belly in a protective way.

"That man that was poisoning towns. He was paid to do it. I just found the one that was paying him. So, I need to check in on this one," Jack muttered. He kissed her forehead tenderly. "Stay here and stay safe. I won't be long."

"Okay," she smiled. He did notice she was preparing another feast. He could only chuckle. The white wolf nudged him and looked eager to help hunt.

"All right. We're going," Jack grinned at the attentive wolf.

"Be safe. Both of you," Jenna smiled. The white wolf bounded over to lick her hand playfully before going back to Jack's side. He laughed softly and walked outside with the wolf. He stuck close to Jack and let himself get swept up in the chilling wind. The wolf's collar kept him immune to all forms of cold. It was why Jack had them made.

"Scout," Jack muttered. The white wolf huffed and darted off. His wind followed the wolf to protect the animal. And he was glad he did. A wolf trap tried to trigger, but his wind iced it in place. That simply pissed him off. When the wolf got back to sit at his feet, the sad look was all too apparently. "I know. Don't worry. You can bite if you have to."

A snort was given in response, and Jack now set his wind out to ice over every wolf trap in his vicinity. Then he recalled what the old man said his provider wore.  _Wolf skins._ He curled his lip back. He didn't mind other wolves. But,  _his_  wolf almost got snared. The man may not make it back to the meeting alive once Jack was done with him.

He took out his staff of wood and ice to focus silently. The cold weather got stronger. Fog started to creep up from the ground to provide a heavy mist over the area. When Jack started to walk, he suddenly pushed his staff in front of the wolf.

"No," he said in command. The wolf seemed to whine. He smelled meat. Jack already knew it was poisoned. "That will make you sick. Jenna will worry. Bad meat."

Now the wolf snarled viciously. He heard  _sick, Jenna, worry,_ and _bad meat._  He didn't want his mistress to worry over him, either. Jack scratched his ears lightly in a careful way to only frost over the fur. This was quickly shaken off, and Jack laughed at the dirty look the wolf gave him next.

"Who's out there?!" a gruff voice sounded out. The wolf hunkered down and snarled savagely.

"Someone who was looking for you," Jack said calmly. "Just walk straight forward."

"Oh, I will! And when I find you..." the man started. Then his face went pale at the sight of Jack and his eerie staff of wood and ice. Then he saw the snarling wolf at his side. The odd man clearly wore wolf pelts of various years and types. It seemed to be all he wore. They even covered his face, so he couldn't be seen. But, that didn't bother Jack at all. The man was as good as dead to him.

"When you find me...you'll...what?" Jack asked with a sly grin.

"That...that staff..." the man said.

"Yes. My staff. Did you want to hold it?" Jack smirked. He stood it upright for it to ice over the ground to stand on its own. "Go right ahead."

"You seem so eager for me to do that," he muttered.

"I know. Since only I can hold it. It chose me, oh, so long ago. Maybe it will choose you in my stead. Did you want to find out?" Jack asked smugly. "But, before you do...why did you pay someone to poison villages for you? It seems...childish and cowardly to me to use another to do your bidding."

"What's it to you?!" the man growled. "And that wolf. I could use the pelt."

"Sure. But, the wolf belongs to me, too," Jack shrugged. The wolf bared his teeth with a seething snarl of anger. "And he's ready to tear into you."

"Hah! I use wolfs bane! I'd like to see the mangy furball try and...hey!" the man yelped when the wolf darted forward, sank his teeth into the man's leg, and darted back. "Get back over here!"

"Or you'll what?" Jack asked dangerously. The man tried to move backwards, but his feet were frozen into the ground. The staff was still standing upright on its own. The ice was getting thicker. Jack chuckled coldly. "What's wrong? Are you feeling cold?"

"You want to know why I paid that stupid man for poisoning those people? Because they're all idiots! Crying, sniveling little things that want more than anyone can ever give! I was a trapper once. An honest man. I sold the occasional fur. Then people started to cheat me. They claimed my furs weren't of good quality. That they were falling apart. They made me sell them lower so that I could barely survive! All the villages that were touched were from trades I made."

"So...you decided to get even with them by poisoning them. But...you chose a lackey?" Jack frowned. "Wait. I see now. You knew you would be identified..."

"Yes. So, I decided to hire someone on that would do my work for me. I paid him. I still did random trade on the side. I had to pay him somehow. But, for each village he successfully tainted, I felt my vengeance dull. Once it was done, it was done."

"What's really odd was that the village I protect had nothing to do with your vengeance. And you knew this in full. I think you were only trying to get rid of him once you were done with him. Weren't you?" Jack said with amusement. At how the man went quiet, Jack grinned widely.

"I didn't want him to think he could track me down for more work!" he said quickly.

"I'm sure it would have worked in other towns. But...you picked mine. And I think you did it on purpose. Because of me. Right?" Jack asked. The wolf snarled deeply at his side.

"I heard of a powerful demon that guarded the town!"

"I'm not a demon. But...you could say I'm powerful. However, I am still curious. How did you come across the mushrooms?"

"My Father was an alchemist. As much as I loved what he did, I also had to make other forms of coin. I went to trapping," he said. Jack only nodded at that. "My Mother used the mushrooms for light cooking. My Father was the one that told me of their potent nature."

"Makes sense. But now...what do I do with you?" Jack mused. "Ah! I know what we can do..."

"And what's that?" he frowned. He paled at the gesture to the staff.

"Let's see what happens. You were...very curious of it, anyways. Right?" Jack grinned sadistically. "Go ahead. Grab it. Let's see if you're worthy to replace me."

"I...I'd rather not..." the man swallowed.

"Oh, but I insist! Because, if you don't do this, I get to take you back to the angry mob that waits for you. So...what'll it be? Hmm? Think carefully now."

The man cringed, but he cleared his throat. "Fine. I'm sure I'll win it over!"

Jack only smirked, as the man placed his fur-covered hands over the staff of wood and ice. Almost instantly, his hands fused to the odd staff. Then he saw his hands start to ice over when the magic began to course down his limbs. When the ice started to reach his torso, Jack chuckled. "Now, here is what you need to expect. First, the ice coats over the body. Then the ice starts to sink into you. Through your clothes. Then the skin. It moves through your muscles to your internal organs. After that, it starts to freeze out your blood.  _And you are aware through all of it!_ "

"Gaah! Make it stop!" the man screamed when the ice began to sink into his skin.

"You can't. I couldn't, either. When my blood was frozen through, it was done. I found myself still living and breathing. But, back then, the staff didn't have anyone that claimed it. Once your blood chills over, if you're still alive by then, you have to fight me," Jack snickered. The man was floored. He knew that he was going to die now. When he felt his muscles lock into place from the icy magic, he found himself struggling to breathe when the magic attacked his insides. He felt his heart stop when the magic reached there. Then he felt it filter through his blood stream. Within minutes, his eyes went dark.

The wolf looked at Jack and sat down. He nodded back, easily pried the staff from the fully frozen and dead man's hands, and lunged forward to shatter his body to pieces. The wolf snorted and looked at Jack now. "He said his father was an alchemist. I want to know if there are any notes. We need to search his dwelling."

The white wolf walked over the splintered pieces of dead man and wolf fur easily. Jack's feet crunched over everything, but were soon cleaned by the untouched snow that filtered around him. He wasn't worried at all. When the wolf led him to the small shack, Jack paused with disgust.  _The man overhunted. The house walls were littered with furs to keep the cold out during the winter months, and they shifted aside when it got too hot in the heat of summer._

He did find a few books with handwritten notes. On looking them over, he was thoughtful.  _They were refined ways to use various ingredients and concoctions._ Nodding to himself, he took another look around the small shack carefully. He did find the money pouch and decided to take it to use for the village he protected. He also realized that the man was a bit of a thief when he found a small cache with hidden valuables. _None of them appeared to be heirloom quality._  The notes were the only thing of true value to him. The wolf yawned and let himself get taken back to Jenna's small hut. And when they both got there, they heard the black wolf snarling.

"Inside," Jack muttered. The white wolf bared his teeth and lunged into the door. Jenna was hunkered down in a corner. And she was suffering from the lack of the cold room. The black wolf was neatly fending off the man that broke in. At the sight of Jack, the battle was over.

"Jack..." Jenna whispered in a whimpering way. He was moving swiftly to her side to give her the touch that she desperately needed. He reached her just in time. The two wolves were now holding down the man in the hut. _And he clearly wasn't from around here._

"Who are you? And why did you piss off my wolves?" Jack smirked.

"I...don't know what you're...talking about..." the man managed to say while defending himself from the wolves. "I just...came over here..."

"And you obviously muscled your way in to see if there was anything of value and found yourself accosted by a giant, black wolf. Right?" Jack asked with a roll of his eyes. "You also probably thought that, with everyone at a meeting, that the town would be easy pickings. Right?"

"What would you know?!" the man finally snapped. Jack chuckled in a cold way, kissed Jenna's forehead now that she was recharged with his chilling touch, and he stood up to cross his arms over his chest.  _The man was a touch fat from successful thieving, and he likely came in from the smell of the meal she was making. Thankfully, it was untouched._

"I don't know. What should I know?" Jack grinned wickedly, as the air got colder. Jenna was completely unfazed, but she did have to keep the fire heated.

"Jack, can you please take him outside? I'm trying to cook!" she frowned. He looked over and laughed softly with understanding. Just as the man bolted for the door, the black wolf leapt out and clamped down on the man's ankle. When he tried to kick the beast off, the white wolf lunged and bit down on the man's tunic to force him to fall to the ground. Now Jack easily bent over him.

"You heard her. Outside," Jack nodded. The white wolf easily tugged the man out by the collar of the man's tunic, and the black wolf kept the man submissive. Once he was outside, Jack grabbed the man by his scruff and let his wind take them to the meeting site. The wolves stayed with Jenna to guard her. On seeing the man Jack brought, he rose up his hand. "This isn't him. That one is dead. Done by me.  _This_  man was trying to break into Clifton's home. Jenna was almost hurt."

"He belongs to me," Clifton said in a dark way. The watching group actually shifted nervously at how Clifton moved to grab the intruding man to haul him away to another room. Jack found himself grinning happily.  _Clifton was three times more dangerous than any of them there. He was heavily muscled now from smithing. He was in a horrific killing mood. His wife and home were threatened._ None argued with his words.

"Agreed," Justinian nodded and looked to the others.

"Where is the other?" McGreggor asked.

"He took an interest in my staff. It killed him when he touched it," Jack smirked. He walked over to Justinian and handed over the old notes, the items he found, and the money pouch. "These were in his hut. Disperse them, as needed."

"I will," the older man nodded.

"And as for you," Jack looked at the guilty old man. "He sent you here to get rid of you."

"He...what?!" the man paled.

"Yes. He didn't know how to tell you he was done with you. He thought to kill you off. Through me," Jack chuckled. "But, it's not the case. He's dead. You did all of his vengeful wronging. Which reminds me, the man who hired you was a fur trader..."

"What?" one of men in the crowd asked.

"Yes. He claimed that people were telling him the furs he sold were not of good quality. And that he had to keep lowering the prices..." Jack muttered. That got a few of the men shifting a bit. "It irked him so much that he wanted to show his...gratitude. And, you all would have known him. So, he sent this man in his place. He paid him after each village was done."

"He...used me..." the guilty man started to pant with rage. "If he...wasn't already dead..."

"I figured as much. Maybe it would have been best for me to bring him back here," Jack seemed to shrug. Now the man looked at him with a rather crazed look in his eyes.

"How did he die?!" he demanded to know. At this, Jack set his staff on the ground for it to ice over and stand upright.

"Touch the staff. That's how he died," Jack said with a slightly twisted grin. When the elderly man was released by McGreggor and rose up to stand, Jack saw how he was looking at the staff now. "Are you seriously going to try? If you live through it, you have to fight me."

"I will have the power I need to crush my foes!" the man shouted and lurched forward to grab it. Then his eyes went slack at the chilling rush that flooded over his senses. He was too old to handle the harsh chill. He simply slumped down in death with his hand still molded to the staff. Jack clucked his tongue, neatly pried the frostbitten fingers off his ancient artifact, and looked to the rest in the room.

"He's all yours. You may need to thaw him out a bit to get his liver, though. It's likely a block of ice by now," Jack chuckled. Then gasps were given when the corpse began to twitch. Jack turned, shook his head, and shattered the frozen head. "I will not allow anyone the chance to fight me. Keep that in mind. Are we clear?"

Coughing and murmurs of agreement were given now. When Clifton walked out of the back room, his fists were covered in blood. He looked down at the shattered head and kicked a frozen eye away. Jack nodded to him slightly. Clifton eyed Jack and said, "Please check on Jenna. I have to finish up things here. If you could?"

"I shall," Jack nodded. "And what happens after this?"

"When this lot leaves, a daughter of mine needs to get married," Clifton said with a small smile.

"Great! I'll let Jenna know," Jack grinned and vanished away. When he walked into the small hut, the wolves looked up at him with their ears perked forward. "He's dead."

Now they both stretched out lazily with small sighs of comfort. Jenna walked over to get his direct touch, and he kissed her with a rough passion that she needed as much as he did. "Thank you for saving me again, Jack."

"I'm always here for you, Jenna. You should know that," he grinned, kissed her again, and let her get back to cooking the heavy meal she planned to feed the family with.


	33. Chapter 33

It was another week before Loo Chon and Kaitlin got married at long last. Jenna was smiling through the whole thing, but at the same time she was worried. She didn't want to think of Jack having to be with her daughter. Later that night, after the main feast was done, he noticed her worry.

"You're smiling on the outside. But not on the inside. Why?" he asked gently when they were alone in the icy protection of the mountains.

"I don't like...thinking of you having to...be with Kaitlin. It just...it hurts..." she admitted and let him cradle her. "I know it has to be done..."

"You are the one I love," he muttered and kissed her passionately to calm her. "It will only be a service of duty with her. Nothing more. I will feel nothing from it. And, as a vow, I'll only be with her once. It may be all that's needed. I know you don't like to think about it. I don't, either. But, it needs to be done, Jenna. I'll wait for her first two children to be born. That will give us plenty of time to know our own child. Right?"

"I...guess so..." she sighed and leaned into him. He continued to rock her and let her rest with him. The kiss she gave him next was extremely needy, and he gave into it within seconds. Even as she had her body pressed against his on the elaborate fur rug that decorated the ground, he knew she was still very stressed over it. He had to remove the stress before it affected her.  _It was time to change the subject to something a bit more casual._

"When do you want to marry off the other two?" he asked.

"Oh. I was thinking they just do that when they're ready. I'm sure they'll need housing made. As well as furnishings and such. I don't know where they want to live yet. And they are still apprenticing, too. Kaitlin was only learning various things from me, so she was fine to marry off now. Loo Chon seems to know what he wants. He also made a small hut for them, too. He knew what he had to do to get it going."

"That he did. And, he is providing you with decent catches of fish. It goes very well with the pork," he chuckled and squeezed her. "The two pigs that we have are almost at breeding size. Hmm. We have another six hours. You haven't been sleeping very well. Have you?"

"I take naps during the day, but I just can't sleep well unless I'm with you," she trembled.

"Well, go ahead and sleep now. I'm not going anywhere," he smiled and let her rest her weight against him. He knew that the only way he would be able to be with Kaitlin was if he didn't tell Jenna when it happened.  _Only after it happened._ He didn't want her to stress over him.

As the night slowly moved around them, he listened to the wind when it howled in a protective way. He was keeping tabs on various villages and the surrounding areas. He was a touch surprised to hear that John and Ophelia ended up getting married.  _And, of course, Murda supplied them with the wedding feast._ He did muse that Jenna had done the same thing with Kaitlin's marriage.

He rested a hand over her belly and closed his eyes. It was still growing, but he knew it was there. He did have one mild fear, though.  _That the child would take the icy chill from Jenna in full._ He didn't want that to happen. But, he did amuse himself at the thought that she could regain it on becoming pregnant from him again. _It was a chance I could take._

"Hmm..." he muttered out, as he picked up on something.  _The raiders were on the move again._ He narrowed his ice-blue eyes at this.  _They were still far off, but it's only a matter of time before the raiders made their way south. I have to wake up Jenna._ "Hey. I need you to wake for me, my love. Something's wrong."

"Jack?" she frowned and yawned with a small stretch. "What is it?"

"Raiders again. You are safe, but I need to stop them before they get cocky. I won't be long," he smiled and kissed her gently. "The wolves are guarding the family. Just stay here. If you're hungry, there is something for you."

"I know," she nodded and let him bundle her up in a beautiful, tawny colored fur. He blew on his staff of wood and ice to let the wind carry him to where he sensed the disturbance. What he found had him a touch perplexed. _A village was burning._

"Round 'em up!" the lead raider was ordering. "Women come to me first!"

"No! You can't do this!" an older woman screamed and kept her children with her.

"She's right. You can't," Jack said when he appeared. The moment he showed up, all of the fighting seemed to stop. The raider paled with a form of fear. He recognized Jack. And, when he showed he knew who Jack was, Jack grinned widely. "So we've met. Ah! You were the one that stole the family crest! Interesting to meet you again on slaughtering another village..."

"We were...just passing through..." the man said, as his breath misted out.

"He lies!" the woman said. "He killed my husband! He killed almost everyone with his men!"

"So I see. And my condolences for your loss," Jack said with a small nod. "If you don't have the means to survive here now, you can head south to the village that I protect. You will be welcomed in."

"I...thank you. But...what of him?! What will happen to him?" she asked.

"Let's see. You have twenty men that are pillaging and killing innocent villagers. You have likely left a few children orphaned now and with a lifetime of nightmares. You've already destroyed one village in full, save the sole survivor I found and rescued. I suppose there is only one thing left to do," Jack sighed. "But, first, I have to contain these fires..."

The lead raider watched with awe when Jack blew on the top of his staff. The chilling wind ripped through the whole village and snuffed out each flame like a dying match. Even if the flames were still going strong, the heat was sucked from them to leave the embers ice cold. Nodding to himself on a job well done, he averted his gaze to a raider holding a child hostage.

"Let me leave, or this li'l one gets 'urt!" the man growled. The young girl was frightened to death, in tears, and in danger of getting frostbite. Jack simply sighed with boredom and struck his staff to the ground. And, when he did, a line of ice an inch thick sped over to the man to lock his boots into the ground. That caused him to stumble in his stride and drop the girl.

She landed in a soft pile of snow that was readily made, and Jack was quick to swoop in with a warm fur to pluck her up and spirit her away to a safe distance. When he knew she was safe, he looked at her calmly. "Where are your parents?"

"Dead..." she sniffled and shivered.

"I'll look after her," the older woman said. "I knew her family well."

"All right," Jack nodded and handed the child over. Then he looked at the man and said, "Shield their eyes. They have seen too much death today."

The woman took his advice and even covered their ears to keep them from hearing the man's scream being choked off when he was frozen to death. After Jack smashed the body, he turned to look at the lead raider with a chilling glare. At this, the man shivered and said, "You have my vow! From this day forward, I will pillage no more homes!"

"I would suggest you leave these lands for good. Find another place to settle. Because, if I hear you coming through here again, your fate will be just like his," Jack growled and pointed to the frozen, corpse on the ground. "So call off your men. Now."

"If he's leaving, then we don't answer to him!" a man snarled out. "And I'm not afraid of you!"

"Even after what I did to your...friend?" Jack grinned widely and let his staff stand alone.

"What you did to him was deserved! He was taking more than his share!" the man retorted. The lead man was already leaving the village with those that knew what was good for them. They were taking Jack's advice. They didn't even look behind them to see how this man was neatly put down like the other. When they did look back, all they could see was a heavy mist of cold death that hung over the village like an ominous sign of doom. Any raider that didn't leave soon found themselves frozen and killed off without a shred of mercy.

An alarm went off in his mental state of mind right after that was done.  _Jenna was in danger!_  He looked at the villagers and said, "Just gather what you can and head south. Follow the caravan roads. I need to go, but I shall watch over your journey from afar. Also, there are a set of mountains that were made to keep out intruders. Traverse it carefully and follow the main winding path through it. If you bring animals, let them lead themselves slowly. You'll make it through with no trouble."

"Thank you!" the older woman said. She would likely become the new leader of the surviving group. He nodded to her and vanished away in his wind. When he got back to the ice mountains that housed Jenna, he landed in a specially made area that he made to spy and survey the main place that held her. He spotted Jenna's sleeping form and felt a lot of relief that he got back in time.

At first he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then he heard the sound of boots crunching carefully on the hard snow.  _The intruder was trying to be quiet and failing._ Jack had designed the snow to be like that on purpose to alert him from any that tried to get too close to this special place.  _From how heavy the footfalls were, it clearly seemed to be a man that was getting too close for comfort._ And he didn't like how the man was able to find the hidden pathway that led to this area of seclusion. He'd likely have to destroy the path. Jenna was safe enough with him at her side.

"Eastern side, eh?" he muttered and let his wind race through the path. It was clearly a lost wandering man. He was fit, in his prime, and seemed to be curious about the world. He was about to stumble onto Jenna's sleeping form, and that was when Jack had to intervene. There was a thin, narrow path that was easy for him and Jenna to traverse. It was treacherous for anyone else, and this granted him the leeway he needed to approach the man. "Hello. You are breaching forbidden territory. Tell me where you're heading, and I'll send you there."

"Oh! I didn't think that anyone lived here," the man said in a flustered tone.

"I'm sure. These mountains are not safe for you."

"Really? Well, I sort of figured that. But...well...I saw these mountains, and I always wanted to know what was here. Just the curiosity factor."

"And now you know that these are my mountains. You can go now."

"Well, there has to be a treasure here! I can't just leave."

"Wait. You came here thinking there was treasure?" Jack asked with amusement. "Let me save you some time. There was probably some story going on that the mountains were home to a large, icy demon that stored a treasure. It's a lie. I am no demon. Yes, I am an icy...entity, I guess. I built the mountains to protect the village that lies beyond them from raiding parties. That's it."

"What?! You mean...all those dreams I had..." the man sighed and grimaced. "There just has to be something here! There's really nothing?"

"Nope! And, if I did give you something, you'd flaunt it and more would show up pounding at my door, so to speak. So, there is nothing more that can be said."

"You can give me something?"

"Sure! I can give you a way out of the mountains. Take care!"

"Wait!" the man said quickly. Jack rolled his eyes and rubbed a hand on his forehead.

"Jack?" Jenna asked and had walked over to where they were talking. Now the man looked over and paused with surprise.

"It's fine. Someone lost their way, and I'm sending them off," Jack said and moved to her side to comfort her. "Go back to sleep. I'll be with you in a moment."

"Okay," she nodded. "How much time is left?"

"A good three hours for you. So rest up," Jack nodded. Even she knew that affection had to wait. She was seen with Jack in the mountains, and she did tell Clifton that Jack would take her here during her worst fits. He had found her gone one night and asked where she was. Of course, Jack had to tell her that he had to take her away. She had always returned, so he was fine with it. McGreggor also knew, too, and he was there to help keep Clifton in line with solid reason for her special condition. And, as always, Clifton wasn't too happy with her leaving, but it was always McGreggor that set him straight.

"Who is she?" the man asked. He appeared to be smitten with her.

"A married woman that I look after on occasion. Her husband is aware of me," he said calmly. "And she does have several children with him. She's also pregnant with another."

"Oh. I see..." he seemed to frown.

"Look. I'm sure you're a nice guy. The right girl will pop up for you. I'm sure of it," Jack chuckled. "Let me take you out of here."

"How can she survive here? With just a fur?" he frowned.

"You are starting to ask too many questions. She is under my protection," Jack started with a slight edge to his tone. When he saw Jenna walking over to nod to the man, he only frowned.

"My husband's name is Clifton, and he apprentices to Master McGreggor of the forge. The village is south of these mountains. My name is Jenna. I have a son, two daughters, and another child on the way. All of my children are being wed, or have been wed. I have a certain condition that makes me immune to cold. I've had it all my life. It's how I can be brought here to rest when I feel the village is too much. There really is no treasure here, other than the odd fur that Jack can make. You will likely freeze to death, if you don't leave soon," she said with a small smile.

"So...you're the ice girl? The one that can brave the winters?" the man asked with awe.

"I was. But, on being a mother, the talent has somewhat moved on to one of my daughters. I still retain enough of it to stay out longer than usual. And it has come back in full for me to be here in safety. There is nothing else here of any value," she said.

"I beg to differ. I think that  _you_  are the real treasure," the man said. At Jenna's wide-eyed look of shock, Jack narrowed his eyes and quickly used his wind to spirit the man away to a local village several miles north of them.

"Jenna, I'm collapsing this path. There will be other places for you to go, if you need to hide," Jack muttered out. "He thought you were a treasure. In a way, he was correct. At the same time, I'm sure he would have taken you from here. I'm sure Clifton would have not been so kind about it. Maybe I can say that he's the demon that people need to be wary of..."

"Maybe you should," she beamed at him. He laughed and kissed her thoroughly. "I can talk to him about it. I can see him agreeing, if he knew that I was being sought after."

"True. Well, I'm not going anywhere. So, let's get you back to sleep. Ah! I found a village that was under attack by the same raiders that attacked Timothy's village. The lead man agreed to stop his raiding once and for all after I appeared. There were quite a few orphaned children and widowed mothers that I saw. I'm glad I appeared when I did, though. They will be making their way here later in the week. I wanted to tell you in case you heard the odd sound in the future," he said and let her press into him when they reclined on the fur bedding.

Clifton was up and about by the time Jack was able to take her back to her small dwelling. Before Jack brought her back, he made good on his word to ice over the passage and blocked it off to keep it from being used. Other paths would be made for Jenna to traverse safely. Jenna moved to give Clifton a hug to show she was well, and he only frowned at how deathly cold she was. At the same time she was happy. So, he never argued that bit. But, his gaze darkened when Jack told him of the odd man that discovered where Jenna was kept.

"I don't like that," Clifton growled out. "I want to do something about it."

"Like what?" Jack asked where he sat in the hut. The wolves were lounging about and appeared to be sleeping, but they were well aware, as always. "I did send the man a few days north. He'll have to backtrack. And I collapsed the path he used. Right now there are no other ways to reach where I keep Jenna. I'll make other escape routes later."

"Let's talk to McGreggor," Clifton said. "Jenna, I'd like you join us."

"Would the heat of the forge hurt me?" she asked.

"Oh. Well..." he seemed to frown.

"The wolves will guard her," Jack said. "Or let me fetch him."

"Do that. I really don't want to leave her side," Clifton admitted. Jack nodded and was about to leave, but the white wolf huffed at him.

"Oh? Very well. McGreggor. Find him," Jack said.

"I'll give you a treat when you get back," Jenna beamed. When the black wolf looked at her, she laughed. "I will give you the same treat I give him when he gets back."

Now the black wolf looked over to the white one with an ear flick. The white wolf huffed again and sped off. Jack only grinned widely. _It clearly meant to get back quick!_

"Here's your repair," McGreggor said to a local that needed a farm tool fixed. At the sight of the white wolf, and how he was stared at, he nodded. "Jarlin! I'm needed at your house!"

"I got the place. Timothy's in the back, too. I'm not sure where Blently went, though," Jarlin frowned. "I'll be on lookout for him."

"You do that. If he doesn't show up by the time I get back, we'll find him," McGreggor agreed and now walked quickly to follow the white wolf. The moment he arrived, the white wolf was seen with a small piece ham bone in his mouth. His brother also had one. Jenna would purposely save the bones in the cold storage for small treat purposes.

"We have a situation," Clifton said. "Jenna was seen in the mountains."

"Was she?" McGreggor asked and sat down. He was served a warmed slice of ham, and this was quickly tackled with a form of relish. Clifton was served next, and Jack chilled their drinks. "And I'm telling you! You can make a profit for doing that!"

"Only done for you and special guests," Jack snorted in response to get them laughing. "Anyways, yes. It's true. Some 'treasure hunter' thought my ice mountains were hoarding a treasure. Jenna approached him to set him straight. Unfortunately, he believes that she is the treasure now."

"You told him you lived here, didn't you?" McGreggor asked her.

"I did," she sighed. "I thought he would leave me alone when told I was married with kids! Instead, he didn't lose his interest at all."

"And that's the type I don't trust, either," the Master Smith muttered out. "I want to see where she's kept so I can help set up something for her."

"I can understand that. However, the place is made of ice. You may freeze," Jack warned.

"I'll bring some braziers with me. Just give me a few furs," he said. Jack laughed at that and could only agree.  _Jenna needed a safe place to hide. I could even keep the braziers there in case I have to hide her in a specialized area when she didn't have my chilling cold. It was a definite option to use. I can even turn that room into an emergency food storage for her._  He was going to hide that idea, though. He'd rather have a sudden way to bring her things quickly than have to share such a thing with the town. He did that already with the cold storage.

Then he had another idea to simply carve out a hidden room of ice and fill it with delicacies for her. That idea appealed to him even more. "Jenna, I'm going to find a place for McGreggor to set up this little safe room in the mountains. Give me a few minutes?"

"Of course, Jack," she nodded. He went back to his mountains and appeared where he kept Jenna safe. He looked around and smiled at the sight of a section of blank ice wall. On focusing, he judged the thickness of it was perfect. Aiming his staff in front of the wall, he mused and tapped on the wall to start hollowing it out. The magic in the staff simply shifted the ice around to solidify around the outer sections. This would ensure that the room was always chilled down much more than the rest of the mountain around him from all the ice.

Another tap on the wall had the thinned ice crack and break away to reveal the neatly formed room. Walking into it, he was able to carve out shelves and hanging structures for meats. Musing to himself, he decided it was time to fill it up. He spent the next ten minutes simply scouring, snatching, and stocking the new room. Chocolates, ham roasts, beef slabs, and even whole parts of elk were now hanging on small ice hooks or resting on the shelves neatly. He couldn't really do the vegetables or fruits, but that would be remedied later on. The door was now made as a two-inch thick sheet of ice. Nothing would be able to crack it open unless it was him.

He did leave out a large ham leg to take to her. Her eyes only widened at the size of it, and McGreggor was making plans to visit to help the family eat it. Clifton had to help her heft the leg onto the spit to prep it up for her. Jack had made sure to keep it from getting frozen solid just for this.

"Should I see if Murda has another one of her heavy cakes?" Jack asked. At the sudden glares and protests he was given, he found himself laughing hard.

"Oh, speaking about Murda, I can't seem to find her son anywhere. You able to help with that?" McGreggor asked. Jack was now out of his seat, moved to give Jenna a light touch to recharge her, and out the door to find the youth. He found himself at a usual perch on the top of a house and had his winds fan out to do the searching for him. What he found had him surprised. And extremely amused.

Blently was trying to woo one of the village girls. The only problem was that she wasn't interested in him at all. Being as stubborn as he was, he refused to give in. He had been following her all over the village. She was a rather slender, dark-haired girl with simple lines and a pretty face. As dashing as Blently tried to be, she didn't want anything to do with him. Jack started to pity her, and he had to show up to help defend her.

"Oh!" the girl gasped at the sight of him.

"Jack?!" Blently gaped.

"You're shirking your duty at the forge. Go there now. You're expected," Jack said calmly.

"Oh..." he grimaced and was quick to walk away. Now Jack turned his attention to the girl.

"I thought he'd never leave!" she sighed. "Um...thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a good day," he nodded. "I'll ensure he doesn't bother you again."

"Ah, can you tell him something for me? I tried to tell him before, but he wouldn't listen," she said. At Jack's nod, she said, "I'm already involved with another. I didn't want him to get hurt."

"I see! And him get hurt?" Jack mused.

"In truth, I'd rather get away from my involvement, too..." she shivered. Now Jack noticed something.  _There was a bruise on her wrist._ It was fading, but he narrowed his eyes.

"This was an outcome?" he asked and gestured to the fading wound.

"Yes. My parents...they don't know..." she trembled.

"They will now," he said.

"No! He threatened them harm!" she gasped.

"His name. Now," Jack glowered.

"I can't...he'll...he'll hurt me..." she whispered.

"I am the protector of this growing village. I will deal with it. I need his name," he said again.

"You're the...?!" she gasped. Now she put his attire together. "Gornov. He lives in the southern district now. He told me he was around my age, but he doesn't live with family. So..."

"He may be lying. Okay. I'll check him out. Go home and stay safe. Tell your parents everything. Show them that bruise," he ordered. She nodded and quickly sped off. His wind would ensure she got back safely. Now he focused on the house he had to infiltrate.

He landed on the lightly sloped roof and listened to what his wind told him.  _The man was currently out of the house._ He grinned wickedly and let his wind completely chill the house in full. Then he was able to get in through the chimney, dust off some of the soot, and sit down in a chair to wait patiently. Five minutes later, the door opened.

The man was rather muscular, youthful, and a touch egotistical. Blond-brown hair fell over his blue eyes in a romantic way. He even had a nicely formed jawline with a neatly sloped nose. Jack realized that this man was a womanizer. He hated him already.

"I am on top of the world! Hmm. Why is it so cold?!" the man frowned and moved to strike a match. At the sight of Jack sitting there, he paled.

"So...I understand you like hurting young girls?" Jack asked with a cold smirk.

"What?! I...no...!" the man said quickly.

"Then why did I find a girl with bruises on her wrist and your name given, Gornov? Can you answer that?" Jack asked and narrowed his eyes. Then he acted bored. "So, you're telling me that she just...magically had those bruises appear? And how she was 'magically' told to not tell her parents about it? Or was that also something you told her not to do?"

"She agreed to belong to me!" Gornov grounded out.

"Oh? And do you have any others that said the same thing? I know how men like you are. Never satisfied with just one," Jack drawled out and studied the man's fuming form. "You need a harem of females at your beck and call."

"I am the only thing that any female needs!" he argued.

"Is that so?" Jack seemed to giggle. "I'd like to see you try and charm Jenna. But, then Clifton would be tearing into you faster than you could eat a steak."

"I don't go after older women," he muttered.

"Good! That means she's safe from the likes of you," Jack nodded and stood up. His wind just told him something very humorous. "Anyways, you had best find another village to inhabit. An angry mob will soon be coming for you."

"What?" Gornov frowned.

"It appears that the girl you were...literally hitting on...is related to Justinian. He is her uncle. He has just now realized what you were up to. Also, her cousin, who is his son, has just heard of what is going on. He has married into a family of  _raiders_ , and they want to come here to tear into you, too."

"I..." the man seemed to panic. Jack walked up to him and grinned in a cold, sadistic way.

"You seem like a nice guy. Let me give you some advice. Take what's most important to you. Leave the village. Don't come back. You promise this, and I'll cover your trail for as long as I can. I'm good at hiding things. Deal?"

"Yeah. Sure..." the man's mouth was dry. Fear had fully gripped him. He didn't know the girl was related to Justinian. She only thought she had a nice man that she could marry and settle down with. If she knew he was trying to court over half of the women in the village at once, she would have spurned him. She was one of the most desirable women there. If he knew that Jenna was one of the most valuable women, he likely would have pursued her despite her age.

Jack gave him one hour to high-tail it out to the main road. He was quick to calm the crowds. Of course, he wasn't going to stop anyone from hunting him down. He said he'd cover the trail, but the village was filled with trackers and hunters. It would only be a matter of time before he was discovered, and Jack did promise that he'd cover the trail for as long as he could. He decided to hide the man for a week.  _That was plenty enough._

Later that night, Jack showed Jenna the new storeroom and only smiled warmly at her gasp of delight. He told her what happened with the man, and she looked at him oddly. "You told him to go after me? Why is that?"

"Because, if he did, it would have given me a reason to kill him," Jack grinned and got her laughing. He had a brazier nearby that he had taken from a random village, and Jenna lit it up to start heating up some chocolate pieces and sweet meats to thaw out. Once they were softened enough, Jack let her rest her head in his lap to let him feed her the small pieces with a slender fork to keep from freezing them over. This was how he pampered her when she was with him.  _She deserved no less, and she is bearing my child._ He was spoiling her far more than needed, and he always enjoyed seeing her so happy with him.


	34. Chapter 34

Several months flew by like nothing. She was heavy with his child now, and he had to remain at her side constantly to keep her body chilled down. She was also getting drained much faster from this particular pregnancy. He was sure it was from the magical impact the child had within her. He also noticed another problem.  _The fire flower was starting to interfere with her._

"McGreggor," Jack said when he walked into the smithy. "Remember that flower that's growing near Jenna's place? In the outside heater?"

"I do," the man nodded and set aside a dagger he just forged.

"It's starting to hurt Jenna. We need to move it," he said.

"It is?! Hmm. Let me see it. Jarlin! Watch the shop!" McGreggor said. The youth nodded and moved to start sharpening weapons. The burly master smith followed Jack quickly, and he now stood in front of the small outdoor fire place to study the thriving flower. "This thing's hotter than the one in the volcano! And I see the problem. It's budding new flowers."

"Ahh. That would do it. What can we do?" Jack asked.

"Let's carefully snip the buds and see if they will grow in other places. Such as with Kaitlin's new home," McGreggor said. "I'll have to get back to my forge to see what I can use. I do wonder, though. You have those papers on different plants. Was this flower mentioned in any of them?"

"That's a good question," Jack mused. "Did you want to look it over with me?"

"I would probably ask Dulfilo about that. He tends to study flowers for jewelry designs. I may end up tossing the papers into the fire out of frustration," the smithy chuckled. Jack could only laugh at that and agree. He went to check on the pig stalls and smiled. "The pigs are breeding nicely, eh?"

"A good twelve piglets in the litter," Jack said. "We'll butcher a couple small ones for delicacy dishes. Likely let another breeding pair grow. The rest can be dispersed carefully."

"The butcher already has a few tagged," he noticed branded marks on the rumps of several piglets. "I hope he plans to let them grow more?"

"He wants them as big as they can get!" Jack laughed softly. "I was able to supply him with a few pig roasts to sample. He's already got a new place set up for them."

"I will make sure to be his first, and most frequent, customer," the master smith vowed. Jack laughed hard and shook his head. "I do worry a bit about Clifton, though."

"Why's that?" Jack asked when they walked back to the smithy.

"I sent him off to get more ores from a neighboring town. Don't go looking at me like that!" McGreggor scowled. "You have a child to tend to."

"I know. How long was he gone for?" he asked.

"The better part of the day. He did take a horse, but he's usually back by now," the smithy said.

"I'll find him," Jack said and was quick to take to the wind. He found the man tending the horse's leg, and Clifton looked over with a sigh of relief.

"Jasper's shoe came undone. I was able to re-shoe him, but it will be a light walk for him. He stumbled," Clifton said and pat the horse's neck.

"It came undone?" Jack frowned.

"Yeah. There was a small rock slide that we passed. One of loose rocks got stuck. I'll have Master McGreggor look him over when we get back. I have another hour's ride. What's that look for?" he asked. "Oh, no! You are not going to bring us back with that wind of yours!"

"McGreggor's worried over you enough, as it is. And I still have to talk to Dulfilo about that flower growing outside. It's starting to complicate things with Jenna. McGreggor noticed it was budding. It's adding too much heat for her to take," Jack explained. That had Clifton a touch surprised.

"Complications?" he asked.

"She's overheating when she walks outside," Jack said with a soft sigh. Jasper perked his ears forward and gave Jack a small nudge. A rewarding chin scratch was given back with a protective fur covering his hand. "Yes, let's get you back now."

"Best hurry before I change my mind," Clifton grunted. A haphazard three minutes later soon had both man and horse mildly shivering in front of the smithy. McGreggor had them both walk in to warm up, and Jack moved to the jeweler's shop next.

"And to what honor do I have from your visit?" Dulfilo asked.

"Have I told you about a certain flower that Jenna has growing in a fiery pit outside her cottage?" Jack asked. At the small look of amusement he was given, Jack grinned. "McGreggor knows. He helped me obtain it. And he has one growing in his forge. It's thriving rather well, but the heat it's giving off is starting to harm Jenna. McGreggor thought that you may have some ideas on what we can do."

"I must see this for my own eyes," the old jeweler said. "Ah! Marla, I need to step out with Jack for a bit. Shall I have Timothy sent for?"

"If you could," she smiled and walked out of the back room.

"Why does he need to be here?" Jack frowned.

"She has been accosted a bit more than normal lately. I'm sure you've noticed," Dulfilo sighed.

"True. I've scared off quite a few of them," Jack muttered. "I think your shop needs a pet."

"A pet?" Dulfilo asked.

"A guardian pet. Like another wolf. I can't sacrifice the ones for Jenna, but I may be able to find one to give to her as a gift. One of the grown wolves can idle here with her until a new pup is grown and trained properly. The other two wolves will easily show it the way," Jack said.

"That would be perfect! We should invest in that. Timothy! Please remain with Marla while I go check out something with Jack," the old man said.

"No problem," Timothy nodded and moved to sit down in the back. He'd charge right out the moment his fiancée was accosted. The very mere sight of his smithy-built body made any man cringe and quickly back down. It also gave him a small break from the forge.

"If you haven't eaten yet, there's lunch back there, too," she smiled. He waved at her to show he heard her. Jack gave a small nod and led Dulfilo out to the main street.

"You want to see the one in the forge?" Jack asked.

"No. I need to see the one causing the problem," the jeweler said. Jack led him straight to Jenna's yard and gestured for the older man to look into the sweltering heat of the outdoor heater. "This is far too hot! Even for me!"

"You have to work past that. Look in the back of it," Jack said and kept his cold presence as close as he could muster. Now the jeweler saw the flower blooming in the back of the small inferno. His jaw clearly dropped. He muttered some unknown name and fell to his knees in silent prayer. "I am guessing you know this flower?"

"Yes! Oh, yes! This flower...I thought it was extinct! I must have one in my shop!" he pleaded. "It was supposedly left behind by a goddess of flame! I...a solid part of my culture revolved around her!"

"If you know how to harvest one of the buds, then you can have one. Their intense heat is disturbing Jenna. We need to safely remove the buds," Jack said calmly.

"I know what to do. We will need urns of coal. We can use some of what this flower is in now. We cannot remove the parent plant. It's too well rooted in now. How did you find it?"

"A volcano had it. Remember that map we found in that chest?"

"Oh! Hmm. It may have been a small chest handed down by worshipers. Ah, yes! I did notice some of the artwork on the jewelry box, but I had my doubts. It's why I didn't say anything, and I'm glad I didn't. At least you saved the treasure map from those that would have harmed it. But...the flower? How did one get here?"

"The original gave out seeds."

"Seeds! Are there any others?"

"Not that I know of. I could take you to where I found the original flower. The mother plant, so to speak. I did protect the place very well. Did you want that?"

"Yes. I do hope I can survive the heat!" the old man sighed. "Let me go back to my shop and get a few tools. Ah...that's right. I don't have them."

"Tell me what you need and where to find them," Jack said.

"There is a temple that houses the items. You should be able to access it. But, if there is only one of each item I need..." he frowned.

"I can have McGreggor replicate what we need and return the originals," Jack suggested.

"That can work! I can provide the needed services to make them ready for harvesting the flower. Or, depending on where you get them, someone may wish to help. Just tell them that you found a fire flower in full bloom and now budding," Dulfilo said with a rare form of excitement. Jack nodded and escorted the old man back to the shop. At the sight of a young man running out scared, Jack cracked a grin.  _Timothy clearly did his job._

"I'll find a way back in there and-!" the man started.

"You won't do a thing. I'll find you. And you don't want me to find you," Jack hissed out in his icy way to show the threat was meant. The man turned ashen white. "You need to leave. Now."

"Yessir!" the man swallowed and ran off. Dulfilo just shook his head and moved into the shop to assess any damages. When the young man tried to get rough with Marla, Timothy had already started to charge out of the back room to glare with a form of murderous rage.

"He demanded for her to give him over some of the gems here. She said no. He started to try and strike fear into her. Then I came out and punched him in the face," Timothy said with a shrug.

"So...you did hit him? Interesting. Are you sure?" Jack frowned.

"He did," Marla nodded.  _The man looked uninjured._  Jack had to investigate. First he made a quick stop to check on Jenna. At the sound of his muttering, she frowned at him.

"Someone tried to accost Marla again. Timothy punched the man, but, when I saw him...he looked uninjured. And that guy packs a bit of a punch behind that arm, too. I need to find out why," Jack explained. Jenna thought a bit and moved to grab her pouch of coins.

"Have Marla pick me up some bread for dinner," she said. "Have Timothy stay back, but you watch from a distance. I want to see if that man will try anything with her again. If he does, then approach him. I think this will be best."

"To give me a reason to...I love you," he grinned and kissed her deeply. She laughed softly with him and let him hug her tightly to get more of his chilling touch. After that he looked at the wolves. "One of you needs to protect Marla. I hope to find another brother or sister for you to help with. The new one will help Marla."

The black wolf stood up and huffed. The white one looked at Jack oddly. Both brothers looked at each other with uncertainty. They heard the phrases, and they were a bit skeptical. They wouldn't argue, though. They only wanted to protect Jenna. She bent down to scratch their ears and said, "Do a good job for me. I'll have some treats for you."

"You just need to protect Marla while she is in the shop. If you feel she needs help, then you run to her side. Either of you can do this," Jack said with a small nod. A tail wag was given in response, and the black wolf bounded out to help. The white wolf looked at Jenna with a hopeful look for treats, and she laughed to oblige him with some pork skin rinds.

"Marla was supposed to walk around alone," Jenna chuckled.

"The wolf will ensure she always does. If that man reappears, I'll know. After this is seen to, I need to pick up some supplies for Dulfilo. He can help with the flower," he said.

"Can he? Please?!" she seemed to ask with relief. He laughed softly and kissed her forehead.

"He said he can. So, I'll ensure it," he said in a soothing way. "Clifton will be late coming back. Jasper got a wounded foot from a loose shoe. He's at the smithy now, but he's tending to that to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Oh, the poor dear," she frowned.

"Clifton will be by later. Hmm. Let me get you a new ham while I'm out. I'll check on Marla now," he said and gave her a loving kiss to recharge her before leaving. He had a lot to do, so he wanted to get it all done swiftly. He found Marla leaving the shop, and the black wolf was with her. "Marla. Your mother wants you to pick up some rolls. Remember how we played out with you as bait?"

"Okay!" she beamed and took the coins. At the sight of Timothy, Jack motioned to him.

"I'm watching her now. You go back to the smithy," he said.

"If you say so," Timothy frowned.

"And the wolf is with her," Jack smirked.

"I'm sure she'll be safe now," he grinned and walked off. Jack only nodded and moved to watch over Marla and the wolf from a rooftop. When he spotted the odd man slowly trying to trail her, he grinned savagely to himself.  _Jenna always had the best ideas._

"Oh!" Marla blinked when she turned at the sound of someone walking behind her.

"We had an unfinished conversation..." the man started. Then he paused at the sight of the large, black wolf baring his teeth with a savage snarl. She was walking through some darker paths between various buildings on purpose, and it was a small shortcut to the bakery.

"So did I," Jack said darkly when he appeared from a wall of mist he formed for the proper effect. "Marla, continue on. And you stay with me."

The wolf snorted at him and looked at Marla. Jack rose a brow.  _The wolf wanted to follow her._  When he nodded, the wolf trotted off with her, and Jack returned his attention to the man before him. The mist neatly obscured where she went, and that was the other purpose for it. When the man turned to leave, he found his feet stuck to the ground from the ice that had neatly formed around them. Jack grinned and said, "You got punched in the face."

"No I didn't!" the man scowled, managed to free his feet, and turned to face Jack. He knew if he tried to run now he'd likely get killed.

"You did. Timothy doesn't lie to me. Marla saw him punch you. So, you got punched in the face. You look like you never got hit. How is that possible?"

"I have fast dodging reflexes," the man finally said. "I let it look like I got hit."

"I see. And why were you following my niece?" Jack drawled out.

"I don't know. Maybe it was to find you," he shrugged. Now Jack narrowed his eyes. The air began to get colder, and the man grimaced at the sight of his breath misting before him.

"And why would you find me?" Jack asked dangerously.

"Because it's said you're guarding a treasure," the man started. Jack started laughing and shook his head. "What?"

"I guard over no treasure. I protect this village. Amazing how humans think that I'm always guarding some form of treasure! Hah! But, no. I guard no treasure," Jack smirked.

"Your staff has to be the treasure then!" he said.

"My staff? No. My staff will only ensure your death," Jack said and set it in front of the man to let it stand on its own. "Go ahead. Take it."

"I..." he hesitated.  _The ice man was telling the truth. There was no way a being like him would just give over the staff willingly!_ "I'll decline..."

"Good boy," Jack nodded and took up the staff again. "It would have frozen you from the inside out. Then I would have smashed your body to pieces. Can't be helped. Anyways, you should leave my village. Hmm?"

"Jack, are we having some problems?" Clifton asked. "Timothy told me what was going on."

"This man was trailing Marla. Then he thought I was guarding treasure," Jack grinned. Clifton started laughing and shaking his head.

"The only treasure here is good living and better trade. Jack makes that possible. However," Clifton said and narrowed his eyes now. It was time to play out as the protective father. "if you go after my daughter again, it won't only be her fiancée that skins you alive!"

"Oh!" the man paled.

"I work in the smithy, and I know how to easily hide a body," he threatened calmly. "The forge is known to melt not only metal, you know."

"I get it! I'll leave now!" the man said quickly and bolted.

"You'll watch him?" Clifton asked.

"Doing so as we speak. I need to help Dulfilo get some tools for the flower. I also told Jenna I'd pick up another ham for her," Jack nodded. Clifton couldn't help the grin that came forth now. Jack was waved off, and he was quick to oblige. He had his wind scour out, and he quickly found the small temple the old jeweler spoke of. He landed in the branches of an old tree and glanced about.

At the sight of an old man in robes walking out of the small hut-like place of worship, Jack jumped down from the tree and walked over. The man looked Oriental, bald, and wore a faded orange robe. He could have been a Buddhist from what Jack saw at a mere glance.

" _And to what honor do I have a visitor this day?_ " the man asked. Jack nodded and spoke his language rather easily. It was simply natural for him.

" _A fire flower was found and needs to be saved. It is budding,_ " Jack said. Now the man paused with complete shock. " _I was told I could find the tools here. Dulfilo is willing to assist. He told me to come here to find you for assistance._ "

" _A budding...oh...!_ " the man whispered and bent his hands in prayer. " _Can you...?_ "

" _Bring you a bud? Sure! I can give you one of the seeds the main plant dropped on me, too_ ," Jack chuckled. The man moved quickly into the small hut and brought out some very simple tools that were rusted with age from misuse. " _I can get these repaired._ "

" _Bring me the new tools. I will bless them for you and make them safe for the flower,_ " the holy man smiled softly. Jack nodded and quickly left in his wind. He walked into the smithy and waived McGreggor over to show off the delicate tools.

"We need to make new ones. The man I got them from will bless the replacements for the flower. Think you're up to it?" Jack grinned.

"Interesting enchantments! They're almost fireproof! Not rust proof, obviously. Very interesting, indeed! Give me a bit," the burly man nodded and was quick to get to work. An hour later, Jack was showing off the new tools to the holy man. They were quickly blessed, and he was given several small pots with some rough lava soil.

" _Please...place them in this. Keep one. I will take the rest with the tools,_ " the man said.

" _Of course,_ " Jack agreed and now he found himself standing outside Dulfilo's shop. He presented the finished tools and pots to the old jeweler. The old man gathered them up carefully and let Jack close up his shop. Then they moved swiftly to Jenna's hut. "I need to check on her."

"That is fine. I shall work on the flower," he nodded. Jack now stormed into Jenna's home and looked for her. When she wasn't there, he moved into the cold shed next to find her trying to chill herself. She had to get muffled at her sudden shout of relief at the feel of his hands on her arms.

"Easy..." he soothed and turned her to cradle. "I'm sorry it took so long."

"I know. It's okay. I'm glad we have this place for me," she sighed with intense relief. He shared a kiss with her and continued to hold her. "How is Marla?"

"Protected by the wolf. Once again, it is thought I guard treasure," he snorted.

"You guard me," she murmured, and he kissed her passionately.

"That I do," he muttered and kissed her again. "He even thought my staff was the treasure! So, I offered it to him. And he declined."

"I don't want you to do that anymore," she frowned. "I don't like it."

"Okay. I won't. Not unless I'm fully challenged," he said. She nodded at that. "I still need to get you a ham. Will you be fine now?"

"Yeah," she smiled and let him escort her out. At the sight of the fiery buds being carefully extracted from the small heater, she gasped with a form of pain. Jack's eyes widened at this, and he moved her back into the chilled shed. "What...happened...?!"

"The small flower buds seem to be affecting you. Just stay in here until they are gone. It may be from my pregnancy with you. Just relax. It will be taken care of shortly," he said, and she nodded. He kissed her forehead to let his chilling magic flood her senses with a soothing sensation. Then he moved to stand just outside the door as though to ward off the flower.

"I have the last one," Dulfilo said, as he gently harvested the fifth budding blossom carefully. Each one was placed in one of the pots, and four were given to Jack.

"I need to take the tools back. I'm sure we can make an extra set for you," Jack chuckled.

"I shall request it," the older man nodded and made off with his small treasure. Jack was quick to deliver the tools and the small plants to the waiting holy man. He'd be sure to check in on him later. Right now, he had to get Jenna a rather large ham and assure her that she could rest easy once again. He was very concerned over how the flowers affected her. He had to study everything to find out how to keep such a thing from happening again.


End file.
